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CITY  PLANNING  PROGRESS 

1917 


AMERICAN  INSTITUTE  OF  ARCHITECTS 
COl^lMITTEE  ON  TOWN  PLANNING 


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City  Planning  Progress 

IN  THE   UNITED  STATES 


1917 


C  O  M  P  I  I,  K  D      H  V 


THE   COMMrriEE   ON     lOWN    PEANNINC; 

OE    IHE    AMERICAN    INS  11  lirn.; 

OF   ARGHITlXriS 


EDITED      B  V 


GEORGK   B.  FORD 
Jssis/et/  by  RALPH    l'\  WARNKR 


The  Journal  oi    im;  American   Institl'te  oi    Arlhi  tects 


W  AbHINOION,  D.C. 


AMERICAN    INSTITUTE    OF   ARCHITECTS 
COMMITTEE    ON    TOWN    PLANNING 


George   B.  Ford,  Chairman 
loi    Park  Avenue,  New  York 


Frederick  1,.  Ackerman,  New  York 
C.  H.  Alden,  Seattle 
Hubert  Burnham,  Chicago 
C.  H.  Chemev,  San  Francisco 
J.  Randolph  Coolidge,  Boston 
Charles  A.  Favrot,  New  Orleans 
A.  L.  Fechheimer,  Cincinnati 


F.  E.  GiESECKE,  Austin,  Tex. 
Edwin  H.  Hewitt,  Minneapolis 
B.  S.  HuBBELL,  Cleveland 
Louis  La  Beaume,  St.  Louis 
Ellis  F.  Lawrence,  Portland,  Ore. 
Ben  J.  Lubschez,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
John  Hall  Rankin,  Philadelphia 


E.  J.  Russell,  St.  Louis 


THIS  BOOK  IS  NOT  COPYRIGHTED 

The  Town  Planning  Committee  oj  the  American  Insti- 
tute of  Architects  desires  to  make  the  material  in  this 
hook  oJ  value  to  the  largest  possible  number  of  per- 
sons engaged  in  city  planning  or  interested  in  the 
extension  of  the  ideals  of  city  planning.  To  this  end 
material  mav  be  reprinted  in  whole  or  in  part  in  local 
newspapers,  or  in  bulletins  of  commercial  or  civic 
bodies,  providing  only  that  proper  mention  be  made 
of  "City  Planning  Progress"  as  the  source  of  informa- 
tion. If  illustrations  are  desired,  photographs  will  be 
loaned  whenever  available  without  charge. 


AUPL 


Preface 


THIS  liciok  li;is  licen  ci)nipili.-ii  l>v  tlif  Tuwii  I'lannint; 
Coiiiniittee  of  the  Anicricati  Institute  of  Architects 
to  meet  the  widespread  and  insistent  demand  tor 
intormation  about  what  the  other  man  is  doing  in  citv 
planning.  A  recognition  of  the  necessity  of  planning 
cities  and  towns,  so  as  to  take  care  of  their  future  growth 
in  a  Inisinesslike  way  antl  without  waste,  has  sprung  up 
all  over  the  country.  The  general  interest  in  "preparcil- 
ness"  has  drought  home  to  many  people  the  fact  that 
while  their  individual  )ilants  or  enterprises  were  "pre- 
pared," their  cities  ami  towns  were  shamcfullv  without 
toresight.  However,  when  they  began  to  look  arounti  to 
find  the  best  way  ot  planning  the  town  for  the  future,  thev 
found  that  there  was  no  satisfactory  information  avail- 
able as  to  what  other  towns  were  accomplishing.  What 
there  was,  was  fragmentary  and  scattered  through  numer- 
ous books  and  pamphlets,  with  no  guide  to  ilirect  the 
attention  to  that  which  was  a  success  or  that  which  was 
not.  The  Town  Planning  Committee  believes  that 
this  book  will  go  tar  toward  satisfving  this  need.  It 
believes  that  the  book  has  a  great  field  for  usefulness  in 
arousing  interest  in  city  planning  ami  in  showinu  bv 
example  and  experience  the  best  way  to  unilertake  plan- 
ning work. 

.i  report  is  presfntcui  un  whul  has  been  accumplished  or  is 
projected  in  city  p/auning  iti  all  cities  in  the  Utiited  States 
of  over  2^,000  iiihaiitaiits,  and  in  a  Jew  cities  and  towns  with 
a  smaller  population*  where  the  work  is  of  special  interest. 
F.\erv  statement  in  the  book  is  taken  either  from  authentic 
published  reports  or  from  signed  statements  made  bv 
responsible  authorities  in  the  respective  communities. 
No  statement  is  made  by  hearsay  or  on  second-hand 
information.  .A  full  questionnaire  was  sent  to  one  or  more 
people  actively  interested  in  city  planning  in  each  of  the 
cities  and  towns  described  and,  in  almost  every  case,  full 
reports  were  received,  so  that  the  information  is  first- 
hand and  up-to-date.  We  realize,  however,  that,  even 
with  these  precautions,  mistakes  are  bound  to  creep  in, 
and  the  Committee  will  heartily  welcome  anv  corrections 
or  amplifications,  which  it  will  be  glad  to  note  in  the 
Journal  of  the  Jnierican  Institute  oj  Architects,  and  also 
in  the  second  edition  of  this  book,  which  it  is  the  intention 
of  the  Committee  to  publish  early  in  lyiy.  .At  that  time 
it  is  hoped  that  all  of  the  cities  and  towns  which  show  com- 
paratively little  progress  in  this  volume  will  stand  out 
markedly  for  their  advance. 

The  illustrations  in  this  book  were  chosen  from  a  great 
number  available  as  being  those  most  typical  of  what  was 
effective  in  the  city  planning  work  in  each  city  and  town 
and  as  a  real  contribution  to  the  subject.  We  regret  that 
no  good  illustrations  were  available  of  so  many  of  the 

♦Population  figures  given  in  tfie  book  arc  based  on  "Estimates 
of  Population  ot  the  United  States,  1916,"  Bulletin  No.  ijj,  United 
States  Census  Bureau,  1916. 


imp.irtant  works  which  have  bi-en  carried  on  throughout 
the  country,  and  we  certainly  hope  that  the  next  edition 
will  make  up  for  this  lack.  The  Committee  on  Town 
Planning  of  the  Institute  is  under  great  obligations  to 
various  publishers  and  local  city  planning  organizations 
who  have  furnished  the  Committee  with  original  cuts  for 
rheir  u.se  and  which,  in  a  number  of  instances,  lack  of 
space  has  prevented  usini;  at  this  time. 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  Conuiiittee  to  continue  the 
publication  monthly  of  news  notes  with  regard  to  city 
planning  progress  in  the  Journal  of  the  American  Inslilule 
of  Architects;  and  in  the  \ational  Real  Estate  Journal, 
where  the  information  is  of  particular  interest  to  real 
estate  men  and  property  owners.  Further  information  will 
be  found  currently  in  The  City  Plan,  the  quarterly  of  the 
National  Conference  on  City  Planning,  in  The  Ameri- 
can City  magazine,  in  Landscape  Architecture,  in  the 
National  Mitnicipal  Review,  ami  in  the  Knglish  Town 
Planning  Review.  The  Town  Planning  Conunittee 
heartily  reconuiiends  that  all  those  who  are  interested  in 
city  planning  shouki  attend  the  annual  meetings  of  the 
National  City  Planning  Conference,  that  for  the  year  1917 
being  held  in  Kansas  City  on  May  7,  8  and  y.  It  also 
recommends  the  reading  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Na- 
tional City  Planning  Conference  of  which  eight  volumes 
are  already  available. 

The  Committee  has  not  devoted  so  much  attention  to 
housing,  especially  industrial  housing,  in  this  book  as  it 
would  like  to  have  done.  .As  the  object  has  assumeil  such 
large  proportions  in  itself,  it  believes  it  is  worthv  of  a 
special  book.  .\  large  ([uantity  of  data  anti  illustrative 
material  on  this  subject  has,  in  fact,  already  reached  the 
Committee's  hands,  as  an  incident  to  its  work  of  assem- 
bling material  on  city  planning.  The  Committee,  in  con- 
junction with  other  national  organizations,  is  therefore 
planning  to  bring  out  a  book  on  industrial  housinu  in 
the  near  future. 

Throughout  the  book  the  Committee  has  laid  particular 
stress  on  the  economic  and  engineering  sitie  of  city  plan- 
ning, because  it  believes  that  that  is  fundamental  to  prog- 
ress, and  while,  as  architects,  the  mendiers  of  the  Com- 
mittee are  necessarily  strongly  interested  in  the  ethestic 
side  of  city  planning,  they  are  firmly  convinced  that  city 
planning  in  America  has  been  retarded  because  the  first 
emphasis  has  been  given  to  the  "City  Beautiful"  instead 
ot  to  the  "City  Practical."  Thev  insist  with  vigor  that 
all  city  planning  should  start  on  a  foundation  of  economic 
practicablencss  and  gooil  business;  that  it  must  be  some- 
thing which  will  appeal  to  the  business  man,  and  to  the 
manufacturer,  as  sane  and  reasonable. 

The  Committee  is  under  the  greatest  obligation  to  all 
ot  the  individuals  and  committees  who  have  gone  to  so 
nuich  trouble  to  make  this  book  a  success.  It  would 
never  have  been  possible  without  their  cooperation. 


Table    of   Contents 


Prefack 

List  of  Illustrations 

Introduction 

City   Planning   Progress 


Akron,  Ohio 
Ahimcila,  Cal. 
Albany,  N.  Y.     , 
Allentown,  Pa.  . 

Alton,  111 

Altoona,  Pa.  .    . 
Arascadero,  Cal. 
.Atlanta,  Ga.  .    . 
.Atlantic  City,  N.  J. 
.Aulnirn,  \.  Y.    .   . 
.Austin,  Te.\as    . 
Baguio,  P.  I. 
Baltimore,  NKl. 
Bangor,  Maine   .  . 
Battle  Creek,  Mich 
Bay  City,  .Mich.    . 
Bayonne,  N.  J.  .   . 
Beaumont,  Texas    . 
Berkeley,  Cal.    . 
Beverly,  Mass.    . 
Binghamton,  N.  \ . 
Birmingham,  .Ala. 
Bloomington,  111.  . 
Boston,  Mass.    .    . 
Boulder,  Colo.    .  . 
Bridgeport,  Conn. 
Brockton,  Mass.    . 
Brookline,  Mass.     .    . 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.    .  .    . 
Burlington,  Vt.  . 
ButKPa.     .    . 
Cambridge,  Mass. 
Camden,  X.  1 . 
Canton,  Ohio     . 
Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa 
Charlotte,  N.  C.    . 
Chattanooga,  Tenn. 
Chelsea,  Mass.  .    .    . 
Chicago,  111.    .  .    . 
Chicopee,  Mass. 
Cincinnati,  Ohio    . 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Clinton,  Iowa.   . 
Colorado  Springs,  Col 
Columbia,  S.  C.  .    . 
Columbus,  Ohio 
Council  Bluffs,  Iowa 
Dallas,  Texas     .    .    . 
Davenport,  Iowa  .    . 
Dayton,  Ohio.  .    .    . 
Decatur,  111. 
Denver,  Colo. 
Des  .Moines,  Iowa 
Detroit,  .Mich. 
Duluth,  .Minn. 
Durham,  N.  C. 
Kast  Orange,  N.J. 
Fast  St.  Louis,  111. 
Pllizabeth,  \.  J. 
F.lgin,  111.    .     .    . 
Klmira,  N.  Y. 


P,.BC 

6 

S 
S 
X 


1 1 
1 1 

1  I 


14 
14 
14 
15 

15 
]6 
1- 
1- 
IS 

■  y 


^4 

24 

28 
28 
29 
29 

,1° 
,ii 


.17 
,17 
,i« 

4' 
41 
4i 

■^^ 
44 

45 

4^, 

47 
47 
47 
4'V 


54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
58 
59 


Kl  Paso,  Texas   ... 
F.mmetsburg,  Iowa   . 
Krie,  Pa.     .V    . 
Kvanston,  111.    . 
F.vansville,  I  nil. 
I'.verert,  Mass.  . 
Fall    River,  Mass. 
hitchbure,  Mass. 
Flint,  Mich.       , 
I'ort  Smith,  .Ark. 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
I'ort  Worth,  Texas 
I'Vesno,  Cal. 

Gary,  Ind 

Gloucester,  Mass. 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 
Green  Bay,  Wis. 
Greenville,  S.  C. 
Greensboro,  N.  C. 
Hamilton,  Ohio 
Harrisburg,  Pa. 
Hartford,  Conn. 
Haverhill,  Mass. 
Hazelton,  Pa. 
Hoboken,  N.  J. 
Holyoke,  Mass. 
Honolulu,  H.  1. 
Hot  Springs,  .Ark. 
Houston,  Texas 
Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Jackson,  Mich. 
Jacksonville,  Fla. 
Jamestown,  N.  Y. 
Jersey  City,  N.  J. 
Johnstown,  Pa. 
Joplin,  .Mo. 
Kalamazoo,  Mich. 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Kenosha,  Wis. 
Keokuk,  Iowa 
Kingston,  \.  \  . 
Knoxville,  Tenn. 
La  Crosse,  Wis. 
Lancaster,  Pa. 
Lawrence,  Mass. 
Lexington,  Ky. 
Lima,  Ohio 
Lincoln,  Neb. 
Little  Rock,  Ark. 
Lorain,  Ohio 
Los  .Angeles,  Cal. 
Louisville,  Ky. 
Lowell,  Mass. 
Lynchburg,  Va. 
Lynn,  Mass. .   . 
Macon,  Ga. 
Madison,  Wis. 
Maiden,  Mass. 
Manila,  P.  I. 
Mansfield,  Ohio 
McKeesport,  Pa. 

(V) 


Pjikc 

.    to 

Medl'ord,  Mass. 

f-l 

Memphis,  Tenn. 

(u 

Milwaukee,  Wis. 

hi 

Minnea]>olis,  Minn. 

(>Z 

Mobile,  Ala.       . 

(n 

Moline,  111. 

f'.l 

Montclair,  N.  J. 

^'.1 

Montgomery,  .Ala. 

''4 

Mossmain,  .Mont. 

64 

Mount  Vernon,  N.  'H'. 

'•4 

Muskegon,  Mich. 

M, 

Muskogee,  Okla.     .   - 

67 

Newark,  N.  J.        . 

(■'7 

New  Beilt'ord,  Mass. 

68 

New  Britain,  Conti. 

68 

New  Brunswick,  N.  J 

6q 

Newburgh,  N.  Y. 

69 

New  Haven,  Conn. 

70 

New  Holland,  N.  C. 

70 

New  London,  Conn. 

"O 

New  Orleans,  La. 

-; 

Newport,  R.  1. 

7.1 

New  Kochelle,  N.  Y. 

7.'! 

Newton,  Mass. 

73 

New  York  Citv,  N.  ^ 

74 

Niagara  Falls.N.  \. 

74 

NorTolk,  Va.  . 

76 

Norristown,  Pa. 

76 

Norwich,  Conn. 

77 

Oakland,  Cal. 

78 

Ouden,  I'tah 

78 

Oklahoma  City,  Okla 

78 

Omaha,  Neb. 

78 

Paris,  'i'exas 

79 

Pasadena,  Cal. 

80 

Passaic,  N.  J. 

80 

Paterson,  N.  J. 

81 

Pawtucket,  R.  1. 

85 

Peoria,  111 

86 

Perth  .Ambov,  N.  J. 

86 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

86 

Pittsburyh,  Pa. 

86 

Pittstield,  Mass. 

86 

Portlaml,  Maine 

87 

Portlanil,  Ore. 

88 

Portsmouth,  Ohio 

88 

Poughkeepsie,  N.  ^  . 

88 

Providence,  R.  1. 

S8 

Pueblo,  Colo. 

a,  J 

(juincv.  III. 

S.; 

Raleluh.  N.  C. 

';3 

Rea.ling,  Pa. 

•0 

Richmond,  \  a. 

■)l 

Roanoke,  Va. 

'/I 

Rochester,  N.  \'. 

•» 

Rockford,  111. 

•)- 

Rock  Island,  111. 

'H 

Rome,  N.  \. 

'H 

Sacramento,  Cal. 

,)h 

Saginaw,  Mich. 

96 

San  Jose,  Cal. 

I'aKC 
III 

\  I,  \  II,  \  III 

1 

5 

Paul- 
97 
97 
97 
100 
104 
104 
lo; 
105 
106 
106 
107 
107 
107 
1 12 
1 1: 
I  12 
'I.I 
"4 
116 

"I7 
l'7 
118 
118 
119 
120 
■  27 
127 
128 
128 
128 
'3° 

I  JO 

KV 
LU 
KU 
'.U 
'35 
"35 

136 

'4^ 
14.5 
'45 
146 
14S 
.48 
.48 
150 
I  JO 

150 
'5' 
'5- 
152 
152 
163 
'.53 
'53 
'53 
'55 
'55 


VI 


rAHI.K   Ol-    COXTKNTS 


Proc.rkss, 

Coiitinueil 

Pagf 

Ks 

South  Bctui,  Intl. 

I  -  2 

I;*) 

Spokane,  Wash. 

1  ~  i 

kS 

Sprinijlielil,  111. 

1  "4 

l6l 

Sprinufielii,  Mass. 

1  "4 

ih 

i6: 

Spritiiitiehl,  Ohio 

1  ^; 

\(yi 

Stamtord,  Conn. 

l''.1 

Stockton,  Cal. 

I'm 

S\Tacusc,  N.  \  . 

1  ^ ; 

[1,1- 

Tacoma,  Wash. 

1  "'> 

\i>- 

Taunton,  .Mass. 

■    ■    -   1 77 

|(.S 

TLrrc-  Haute,  Ind. 

■    .    .    .  .177 

ih', 

Tolciio,  Ohio  . 

.    .    .  I7» 

i"i 

Topeka,  Kan.     . 

1-*^ 

1-1 

IVenton,  \.  I. 

1  ~'i 

i-i 

Trov,  N.  Y. 

iSo 

1  "■; 

lulsa,  Okla. 

,   iSl 

1-2 

I'tica,  N.  V 

i8l 

City  Planninc; 

St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
St.  Ix)uis,  Mo. 
St.  Paul,  Minn. 
Salcni,  Mass. 
Salt  l.ake  Citv,  I'tah 
San  .Antonio,  Tcx.i 
San  Diego,  Cal. 
San  Francisco,  Cal 
Savannah,  (ja. 
Schenectady,  N.  ^ 
Scranton,  I'a. 
Seattle,  Wash. 
Shehoyyan,  \\  is. 
Shenandoah,  I'a. 
ShrcveVHirt,  l.a. 
Sioux  City,  Iowa 
Somerville,  Mass. 

Slmmarv     ....••• 
Brief  I.i.st  ok  Refkrences  on  Ci  rv  Planning 
Index  


Walla  Walla,  Wash. 
\\  alpole,  Mass. 
Walthain,  Mass. 
Washington,  I).  C. 
\\  aterbury,  Conn. 
\\  aterloo,  Iowa 
Weston,  Mass. 
Wheelinu,  W.  \a. 
Wilkes-Bari-e,  I'a. 
Wilmington,  Del. 
Woonsocket,  R.  1. 
Worcester,  Mass. 
Yonkers,  N.  Y. 
■i'ork.  Pa.        ... 
^'oungstown,  Ohi.i 
Zanesville,  Ohi'> 


Page 

182 
182 

183 
186 

187 
187 

188 

188 
188 
189 
190 

191 
192 

192 

193 


194 
198 
203 


List  of  111 


Perspective  of  Denver  Civic  Center,  Frontispiece 

Pla/a  in  Residence  Park,  San  Francisco 4 

Resilience  Park  Perspective,  San  Francisco  4 

Reclaimed  .Area  Now  a  Public  Park,  .Akron  5 

City  Kntrance,  Bridge  and  Quay,  .Albany  '> 

Plaza,  Central  Park  and  Fountain,  .Albany  '> 

Bridge  Pylons  and  Quay,  .Albany  7 

RiveH'ront  and  I'ublic  Buildings,  .Albany  7 

Playgrounds  in  City  Blocks,  .Allentown     .  7 

Building  in  Civic  Center,  Atascadero 8 

.Administration  Building  in  Civic  Center,  Atascadero  9 

Plaza  Over  Railroad  Right  of  Way,  Atlanta    .            .  9 

Plaza  Plan  Over  Railroad  Passenger  Tunnels     .    .  10 

Summer  Capital  Plan,  Baguio 1  1 

Civic  Center,  Baltimore  '  - 

River  Basin  and  Treatment  of  Banks,  Bangor  14 

Marine  Terminal  and  Industrial  City,  Bayonne.  15 

F.ducational  Group  Plan,  Berkeley  1^' 

Open-.Air  Theatre,  Berkeley  ' '' 

Industrial  Village  Plan,  Fairfield  >7 

Civic  Center  in  Industrial  Village,  Fairfieki  1  f< 

Metropolitan  Park  System,  Boston  19 

Opening  Up  a  Former  Railroad  Property,  Boston  19 

FundaiTiental  Data— Occupancy  Map,  Fast  Boston  20 
Conversion    of   Unsanitary    and    Congested    Block, 

Boston -' 

Park  Entrance,  Boulder  i- 

Perspective  of  Civic  Center,  Bridgeport ii 

Thoroughfares  and  Park  System,  Bridgeport  :,; 

Civic  Circuit  in  Lieu  of  Civic  Center,  Brockton  24 

Need  of  Set-back  Restrictions,  Brookline  25 
.Apartment    House    Projecting     Beyond    .Accepted 

Line,  Brookline ^5 

.A  Restricted  Residential  Area,  Brookline  25 
Union  Station,  Waterfront,  and  Civic  Center,  Buf- 
falo      -^' 


ustrations 

Page 

Civic  Center  About  Niagara  Square,  Buffalo  ....  27 

Civic  Center  .About  Niagara  Square,  Buffalo  .    ...  27 

I'lavurounds  and  Radius  of  Usefulness,  Cambridge.   .  28 

Island  Civic  Center,  Cedar  Rapids 30 

Island,  Bridges  and  Shore  Development,  Cedar  Rapids  30 

Riverfront  fmprovement  and  Bridges,  Cedar  Rapids  31 

System  of  Streets,  Parks,  Playgrounds,  etc.,  Chicago  32 

Lakefront  and  Lagoons,  Chicago 33 

Street  in  Need  of  Widening,  Chicago 34 

Widened  Street  as  It  Will  .Appear,  Chicago    ....  34 

Bascule  Bridge  with  Two  Levels,  Chicago J,S 

Union     Station,     Post    Office,     and     Northwestern 

Terminal,  Chicago 35 

New  East  Twelfth  Street,  Railway  Terminal,  and 

Museum,  Chicago 3^ 

Central  District  and  Lakefront,  Chicago 36 

Parkwav  over  Route  of  Canal,  Cincinnati 37 

Group  Plan  and  Mall,  Cleveland 3^ 

High-Level  Bridge  over  Cuyahoga  Valley,  Cleveland  39 

Plaza  .Approach  to  Bridge,  Cleveland 40 

Civic  Center,  Columbia,  S.  C 4- 

Civlc  Center,  Columbus 43 

Skeleton  of  City  Plan  and  Park  System,  Dallas         .  45 

Riverfront  Reclamation,  Davenport 4^ 

Riverfront  Reclamation,  Showing  Progress     ....  46 

Civic  Center  and  Court  of  Honor,  Denver 48 

New  Capitol  Grounds,  Des  Moines 49 

Unsiijhtlv  Riverfront,  Des  Moines,  1910 5° 

Reclaim  d  Riverfront  and  Civic  Center,  Des  Moines  50 

Civic  Center  Model,  Des  Moines 5' 

Civic  Center  Model,  Des  Moines      5' 

.Monumental  Bridge  to  Island  Pleasure  Park,  Detroit  51 
Two-Level  Traffic  Separation  Scheme,  Detroit  .52 
Scheme  of  Proposed  Parks,  Parkways,  and  Fncirding 

Boulevards,  Detroit 53 

Center  of  Arts  and  Letters,  Detroit 53 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 


Proposed  Civic  Center,  and  I'mus  dt'Traffic  Arteries, 

IJetroit     .    -    -    .  .    .    ,       54 

Street  Intersection  on  Steep  (jrai.lient,  Duliitli  ^4 

Iniliistrial  Town  Plan,  Morgan  Park,  Dulutli  ■;  ^ 

Playground  on  Site  ot'  Former  Swamp,  Hast  Orange  56 
Fundamental    Data— Use  ot"  Property    Maps,   Hast 

Orange >" 

Fundamental  Data — Street  Wititlis,  l-.ast  Orange  57 

Riverfront  Treatment,  Klgin 58 

Pleasure  Park  and  River,  Klmira      59 

Residence  Street  Parking,  HI  Paso fio 

Lake  Shore  and  Island  Treatment,  Kmmetsliurg    .   .       60 

General  City  Plan,  Erie       61 

Model  Residential  Street,  Fort  Wayne 65 

Park   and   Approach   to  Court-House   as   Proposal, 

Fort  Worth  ')'' 

Steel  Mills  Sh\itting  OffTiiwnsjieople  from  l.akefront 

at  Gary 67 

Riverfront  Creditably  Developed  at  Grand  Rapids  .  68 
General  Citv  Plan  and  Park  System   Proposed  for 

Greenville 69 

Riverfront  Park  and  Promenade,  1  larrisburg  .  ...  71 
General  Citv  Plan,  Showing   Relation  ot   Proposed 

Development  to  Existing  Conditions,  Harttord  72 

Park  Entrance,  Shelter  House  and  Pool,  Hohoken  73 

BhifF  Boulevard  and  City  Gate  Proposed  for  Holyoke  .  74 
City  Center  and  Proposed  Sanitarium  and   Resort, 

Hot  Springs,  Ark 75 

Playgrounds,    Playfields    and    Parks,    Present    and 

Proposed,  Indianapolis 77 

Recreation    Center   Proposed    at   junction    ot   Two 

Rivers,  Johnstown 79 

Embellishment  of  the  Paseo,  Kansas  City 80 

Park  System  Proposed  in  1893,  Kansas  City  ....       80 

Park  System  Today,  Kansas  City 80 

Wading-Pool,  a  Feature  of  a  Playground  and  Recrea- 
tion Center,  Kansas  City 81 

Five   Civic   Center   Schemes   Proposed    tor    Kansas 

City,  and  their  Relation  to  City  Plan 82 

The  People's  Playground,  Swope  Park,  Kansas  City  8j 
Outlook   Tower   and   Terrace   in    Reclaimed    Area, 

Kansas  City 8,5 

Penn  \'allev  Park,  near  Business  Center,  Kansas  City  84 
Chiliiren's  Playground  and  Wading-Pool,  KansasCity  84 
Bath-house  in   Kansas  City's  Most  Complete  Park 

and  Playground 85 

Levee  Park  as  It  Will  .Appeal-  When  Completed,  La 

Crosse 87 

Park,  Playground  and  Boulevard  System  Proposed 

for  Little  Rock 89 

Modern  Passenger  Station  at  Macon 91 

Wires,  Poles  and  Unsightly  Buildings  in  the  X'ista  ot 

the  Wisconsin  State  Capitol,  Matiison 92 

Vista  of  State  Capitol  with  Wires  and  Poles  Removed 

and  Dignified  Buildings  Erected,  Madison    ...       92 
State  Capitol  and  Portico  Closing  the  Vista  Along 

One  of  the  Diagonal  Streets,  Madison 92 

Citv  Plan,  Park  System  and  Diagonals  I""ocusing  on 

the  State  Capitol,  Madison      9j 

New  Plan  of  Manila  and  Important  Public  Buildings 

Erected  in  Accordance   Therewith    During   Last 

Decade 9J 


Vll 

Pngc 

Central  Part  of  Manila,  Bird's-F.ye  View 95 

New  Civic  Center,  Memphis 96 

Civic  Center  on  Axis  of  Cedar  Street,  as  Proposed, 

Milwaukee 98 

Lake    Shore     Drive     and     Parkway     as     Proposed, 

Milwaukee ' ■  98 

Riverfront  Treatment,  Bridges  and  Bordering  Drives 

as  Proposed,  Milwaukee 99 

Civic   Center,   Perspective   View,   Looking  Toward 

Plaza,  as  Proposed  for  Minneapolis 101 

General    Plan    of    Business    Center    and    Proposed 
Widenings    and    Additions    to    Street    System, 

Minneapolis 101 

River     Development     and     Bridges     as     Proposed, 

Minneapolis 102 

River    Plan    -Banks,    Roadways,    Parks,    Railroad 

Yards  and  Bridges,  as  Proposed,  Minneapolis.   .   .  102 

The  Gateway,  Minneapolis loj 

Town  Common,  Proposed,  Montclair                            .  104 

Garden  Theatre,  Montclair     ...                        ...  105 

Garden  \'illage,  Mossmain       .  106 

Civic  Center  Plan,  Mt.  \'ernon  107 

Poster  Used  in  City  Planning  Campaign,  Newark  108 

Poster  Used  in  City  Planning  Campaign,  Newark        .  108 

Street  Cutting  and  Extension,  Newark    .  109 

Diagram  of  Daily  Trolley  TratTic,  Newark  109 
Proposed  Extension  of  Radial  TratHc  Thoroughtare, 

Newark 110 

View  of  Interurban  Trolley  Terminal,  Newark  110 
Section    Showing    Various    Levels    of    Interurban 

Trolley  Terminal,  Newark 110 

Plan     of    Proposed     Wholesale     .Auction     Market, 

Newark      '  1  ■ 

Street  Extension  Proposed  in  a  Section  ot  Newark 

where  Haphazard  Planning  Has  Prevaileil  112 
Scheme  for  the  Rearrangement  ot  Portion  ot  Cen- 
tral District  of  New  Brunswick    ii.i 

Public  Square   and   Approach  to  Railroad  Statii>n, 

New  Haven,  Proposed  in  1908 114 

Effective    Range   of    Service   of    Local    Parks    and 

Playgrounds,  New  Haven     .    .  ''5 

Plan  of  Town  of  New  Holland  .    .  116 

Cove  with  Low  Shores  and  Mud  l'"lats.  New  London  .  117 

Proposed  Improvement  of  Cove  as  Recreation  Center.  1  17 

Harbor  Development  Proposed  for  Newport   .  118 
Thoroughfares  and   Park  System  in   Proposeil   Plan 

for  Newport  119 
Boulevard  in  Metropolitan  Park  System,  Boston,  on 

Border  of  Town  of  Newton      119 

Boulevard,    Looking  Toward   Newton,    an    Uncon- 
nected Link  in  the  City's  Thoroughfare  System  120 
Tentative  Use  Districts  in  New  York's  Zoning  Plan  121 
Final  and  Adopted  Use  Districts,  New '^'ork  ....  121 
Tentative  Height  Districts  in  Zoning  Plan  tor  New 

York ' 122 

Final  Height  Districts,  New  "^'ork .** .    .  122 

Tentative  Area  Districts  in  Zoning  Plan  for  New  York  1  23 

I'inal  Area  Districts,  New  York 123 

Advertisement  Inserted  by  New  '\'ork  Merchants  to 

Insure  Success  ot  Zoning  Measures 124 

Seventh  Avenue  Extension  and  X'arick  Street  Widen- 
ing, New  York 125 


\111 


TAHLK   OK   CON'I'KNTS 


Bush  'rcrmiiKil  and  liukistrial  City,  New  ^drk 
Proposed  Model  Unit  Retail  Market    . 

Proposed  Model  Unit  Terminal  Market 

Neighborhood  Center  Proposed  for  the  Borouiih  ot 

the  Bronx,  New  York 

Water  (Jate  and  Pleasure  Boat  Landing,  Norfolk 
Business  District  from  Lakeside  Park,  Oaklaml 
Proposeil  Harbor  and  Industrial  District,  Oaklantl 
Grand  Boiilevanl  and  Railway  Viaduct,  Oklahoma 

City      .'•;;.■.. 

Diagrammatic  Representation  of  Kxisting  Paving, 
Omaha 

Spot  Map  Showing  Distribution  of  Population, 
Omaha 

Contours  and  Gradients,  Omaha  Street  System 

Parkwav,  Looking  Toward  City  Hall,  Paris,  Texas    . 

Industrial  X'illaue  Two-Lamily  House,  Allwood,  near 
Passaic 

Recreation  Center  and  Pool,  Peoria 

Open  Space  in  Comjirehensive  Plan  tor  South 
Philadelphia 

Pennvpack  Creek  Park  Bridue  in  Lincoln  Highway, 
Philadelphia 

Open  Space  at  Intersection  ot  Important  Streets 
South  Philadelphia  Improvement 

Plan  of  Kairniount  Parkway,  Philadelphia 

Municipal  Auditorium  in  Fairniount  Parkwav, 
Philadelphia ' 

Plan  ot  South  Philadelphia  Improvement 

Model  ot  Art  Museum,  Philadelphia 

Proposed  Central  Traffic  Circuit,  Philadelphia    . 

Prize  Plan  for  Model  Workingmen's  Home  Develop- 
ment, Philadelphia 

Store  and  Dwelling  in  Model  Development,  Phila- 
delphia       

Distribution  ot  Public  and  Semi-Public  Grounds  and 
Institutions 

Plan  tor  Improvement  ot  Down-town  District,  Pitts- 
burgh Civic  Commission 

Treatment  ot  Point  District  as  Proposed  by  Art 
Commission 

(leneral  Data  Map  of  the  Pittsburgh  District 

Plan  for  a  Civic  Center,  Portland,  Maine 

V'iew  from  a  Public  Terrace  in  the  Hills  About 
Portland,  Ore.,  Showing  Proposed  Development  . 

Civic  Center  as  Proposeil,  Portland,  Ore 

Metropolitan  District  of  Provitience  and  Park  Sys- 
tem      

State  House  and  "Public  Gartlen"  Area,  Providence, 
Showing  Unsightly  Condition       

Improvement  ot  "Public  Cjarden"  Area  Proposed  by 
City  Plan  Commission,  Providence 

Approach  to  State  Capitol,  Raleigh 

General  Plan  Proposed  by  the  Civic  Association  of 
Reading,  1908 

Proposed  Civic  Center,  Rochester 


25  Proposed  Solution  ot  Problem  m  Land  Subdivision, 

26  Sacramento 

26  A  Natatorium,  San  Jose 

Diagrammatic  Scheme  ot  Arterial  Thoroughfares  .    . 

1(1       Forest  Park   Development   Pro]iosed   with  Art  Mu- 

27  seum  as  Focal  Point,  St.  Louis      

29      .A  Plan  for  the  Realization  of  a  Practical  Thonmgh- 
29  tare  System,  St.  Louis 

Plan    ot    Proposetl    Development    in    F'orest    Park, 
.50  St.  Louis      

Proposed  Development,  F'orest  Park,  troni  .Art  Hill 
ji  to  Lindell  Drive,  St.  1-ouis 

Capitol  .Approach,  St.  Paul 

J2       Preliminary  Plan,  Central  District  of  St.  Paul    .   . 
3,5       Group  ot  Low-Rent,  Semi-detached  Cottages,  Salem. 
.33       (ireat  Bay  F'ront  and  Plan  Projected  tor  its  Develop- 
ment, San  Diego 

34  X'iew  ot  Fxposition  Cirouji  trom  an  .Aeroplane,  San 

35  Diego 

Civic  Center  Site  Before  It  was  Cleared,  San  Francisco 

36  Civic  Center,  Perspective  \'iew,  San  F'rancisco      .    . 
Telegraph  Hill,  Looking  East,  Showing  Treatment 

37  Proposed  in  Plan  of  1915      

Oglethorpe  Avenue,  with  Center  Parkway,  Savannah 

37  Development    Proposed       for    the    Rivertront    and 

38  Barge  Canal,  Schenectady  

Proposed  .Approach  to  Railroad  Stati(jn  and  Court 

38  Square  Connection,  Scranton    ,  

39  Civic  Center  as  Proposed,  Seattle  

40  View  of  Railroad  Station  .Along  .Avenue  trom  Civic 

41  Center  as  Proposed 

Plan  of  Railway  and  Civic  Center  Area 

42  Monroe  Street  Bridge  and  Falls,  Spokane 

The  Survey  Exhibition,  Springfield,  111 

42  The  Civic  Center,  Springfield,  Mass 

Plan   Commission's  Scheme  tor  New  Street  System 

43  .About  Harbor  Basin,  Syracuse 

Wright  Park,  Tacoma 

44  Point  Defiance  Park  and  Puget  Sound,  Tacoma    .  .    . 
View  of  Olympic  Range  trom  Point  Defiance  Park  . 

44  Proposed  Neighborhood  Center  at  the  Entrance  to 

45  Ottawa  Hills,  Toledo 

4(1      The  .Art  Muesum,  Toledo 

Plan  tor  a  Civic  Center,  Troy 

47       Beman  Park,  Troy 

47  The  L'l^nfant  Plan  of  Washington 

The  Mall,  Washington 

48  Rock  Creek  Park  Extension,  Washington 

Modification,  Central  Section  VV'eston,  Mass.    .     .     . 

49  Rivertront  Improvement,  VV'ilkes-Barre 

Brandywine  Park,  Wilmington,  Del 

49  House  in  Indian  Hill  Garden  Village,  Worcester    .    . 

50  Plan  of  Indian  Hill  Garden  Village,  Worcester    .   .    . 
Low-Priced  Dwellings   fc^rected  by  Modern  Homes 

51  Company,  Youngstown 

53   Treatment  of  Street  Intersection,  Pittsburgh   .  ,  . 


I', 


"54 
15s 
156 


i5« 

159 
160 
161 

162 

163 
164 
165 

166 
166 

167 

168 
169 

170 
170 
172 
173 
174 

176 
.76 

177 
177 

178 
178 
180 
181 

i«J 
184 

185 
187 
188 
189 
190 
191 

192 
19.5 


Introduction 


Getting  Started  on  City  Planning 


C\\'\  PLANNING  is  the  name  given  to  a  science 
and  art  which  has  existed  since  the  l>eginning  ot 
civilization,  Ixit  which  recently  has  been  given  new 
direction  and  a  much  more  vital  and  comprehensive  pur- 
pose. Cities  and  towns  have  always  grown  according  to 
some  plan,  hut  in  the  past  that  plan  has  almost  always 
been  one  of  immediate  expediency,  of  a  blind  following  of 
precedent.  It  is  only  quite  recently  that  we  have  realized 
the  urgent  need  of  looking  ahead  in  our  planning  with 
intelligent  and  practical  imagination;  of  preparing  our 
cities  and  towns  to  meet,  in  a  logical  way,  the  probable 
future  demands  ot  business,  recreation,  housing,  and  circu- 
lation. We  are  awakening  to  the  tact  that  enormous 
sums  of  monev  have  been  wasted  in  our  cities  in  so- 
called  "improvements,"  which  were  constructed  spasmodi- 
cally, rather  than  according  to  a  comprehensive,  precon- 
ceived plan  for  general  expansion,  with  the  result  that 
after  a  short  time  the  city  has  been  torced  to  tear  them 
out  and  start  over  again. 

Finti  a  Leader. — The  astonishing  thing  is  that  a  large 
proportion  ot  the  cities  and  towns  ot  .American  have,  up 
to  this  time,  tailed  to  awaken  to  these  glaring  tacts,  and 
that  there  has  not  been  a  general  demand  trom  the  people 
ot  the  various  cities  and  towns  tor  city  planning  on  a  com- 
prehensive scale.  However,  as  in  the  case  ot  most  other 
obviously  practical,  but  new,  ideas,  the  actual  undertaking 
of  the  work  has  awaited  the  consecrated  advocacy  ot 
some  one  man.  Therefore,  the  first  step  in  getting  started 
in  city  planning  in  any  community  is  to  find  the  man,  or 
men,  or  in  some  cases,  the  woman,  who  is  prepared  to 
make  any  sacrifice  to  "see  it  through."  In  almost  every 
case  this  individual  has  not  been  a  city  official.  It  is 
usually  some  citizen  ot  standing  in  the  community  who 
is  recognized  as  practical  and  not  too  much  ot  a  "dreamer," 
who  can  enthuse  his  fellows  to  the  point  of  action.  It 
means  patience  and  a  superabounding  faith  which  laughs 
at  rebuffs.  It  used  to  mean  the  willingness  to  endure  the 
sobriquet  of  "crank."  It  means  that  infinite  and  never- 
ceasing  tact  by  which  divergent  personal  interests  can  be 
concentrated  harmoniously  on  the  common  object.  F.very 
town  has  at  least  one  such  person.  It  only  remains  to 
convince  him  ot  the  tact  that  planning  his  town  so  that 
it  will  be  the  itlcal  place  tor  future  generations  to  live, 
work,  and  play  in  is  probablv  the  noblest  service  that  he 
could  render  to  the  community. 

Educating  the  Leaders. — The  first  thing  a  leader  would 
do  would  be  to  get  together  an  informal  group  of  men — 
or  men  and  women — to  study  conscientiously  what  c'ty 
planning  means  and  how  it  can  be  applied  to  their  town. 
It  is  sheer  common-sense  tor  them  to  look  around  over 
the  country  to  see  what  other  cities  and  towns  ot  about 
their  size  have  done,  or  are  intending  to  tio,  in  the  way  ot 
planning,  scientifically  and  comprehensively,  to  take  care 


ot  future  growth.  They  ought  to  go  to  the  annual  National 
Conference  on  City  Planning.  They  ought  to  steep  them- 
selves in  the  literature  ot  the  subject  and,  in  particular,  to 
read  the  proceedings  of  the  National  Citv  Planning  Con- 
ferences and  the  (^uarterlv  Bulletin  of  the  conference. 
Furthermore,  thev  ought  to  make  a  point  ot  inducing  the 
leaders  in  city  planning  in  other  cities  and  various  experts 
to  stop  oH^  in  their  town,  when  they  are  in  the  vicinity,  to 
talk  over  the  subject  in  an  open  way,  before  as  representa- 
tive a  group  ot  citizens  as  can  be  brought  together.  In 
that  way  they  will  secure  the  difl^erent  points  of  view  ami 
will  have  an  opportunity  to  iletermine  tor  themselves  the 
outstanding  essentials  in  city  planning. 

Securing  .ideriuale  Isomers. — Meanwhile,  it  is  important 
that  the  informal  committee  ascertain  whether  the  town 
has  the  power  to  appoint  a  city  planning  commission  ami 
to  grant  to  that  commission  certain  advisory  functions 
essential  to  the  attainment  of  practical  results.  If  no 
such  powers  exist,  the  informal  committees  should  im- 
mediately proceed  to  the  drafting  of  the  needed  law  or 
ordinance,  and  then  should  present  it  before  the  proper 
legislative  bodies  and  see  that  it  is  enacted.  Help  in  the 
framing  of  such  a  law  will  be  gladiv  furnished  bv  the 
National  City  Planning  Conference,  ot  which  Flavel 
ShurtleflF,  19  Congress  Street,  Boston,  Mass.,  is  secretary, 
or  by  the  Town  Planning  Committee  ot  the  ."Xmerican 
Institute  of  Architects,  or  by  almost  any  of  those  who  are 
active  in  city  planning  work  throughout  the  country. 

A  Citizens'  Co/nmittee. — The  informal  committee  or 
group  could,  to  very  good  advantage,  organize  itself  into 
a  general  citizens'  city  planning  committee.  In  many 
communities  such  a  committee  has  been  a  part  of  the 
chamber  of  commerce  or  board  of  trade;  in  other  com- 
munities it  has  been  organized  by  the  real  estate  men;  in 
others,  by  a  civic  improvement  as.sociation;  in  others,  by 
a  women's  club,  but  the  best  results  have  usually  been 
secured  where  these  various  interests  and  points  of  view 
have  been  amalgamated  into  one  live  cooperative  com- 
mittee or  association.  This  committee  then  becomes  the 
great  energizing  force  tor  city  planning  in  the  commu- 
nity, and  whether  thev  actually  make  the  plans  themselves 
or  not,  they  will,  ot  necessity,  have  great  infiuence  in 
determining  the  character  and  the  comprehensiveness  of 
the  plans.  More  than  that,  thev  will  act  as  the  "follow- 
up"  body,  independent  ot  the  vagaries  ot  politics,  who  will 
see  that  the  plans  are  gradually  carried  into  effect,  and 
that  no  serious  departuVe  from  them  is  made  in  any  public 
improvements  undertaken  by  the  city. 

.-/w  Official  Commission. — In  most  communities  the 
next  step  is  to  have  the  citv  council,  civic  commission,  or 
the  mavor,  as  the  case  may  be,  appoint  a  city  planning 
commission,  arm  it  with  certain  advisory  powers,  and  let 
it  get  to  work.    What  the  actual  size  or  personnel  of  such 


CITY  PLANNING  PROGRESS 


a  commission  should  be  is  quite  an  important  subject 
in  itself  and  depends  to  some  extent  on  local  conditions. 
The  organizations  above  referred  to  will  be  very  glad  to 
advise  on  this  subject,  and,  furthermore,  we  particularly 
recommend  reading  the  article  by  Robert  H.  Whitten  on 
the  "Constitution  and  Powers  of  a  City  Planning  Au- 
thority," in  the  proceedings  of  the  Seventh  National  Con- 
ference on  City  Planning,  held  in  Detroit,  in  June,  1915. 
Private  vs.  Official  Planning. — In  some  cities,  notably 
Chicago,  they  have  felt  that  much  better  and  quicker 
results  could  be  secured  by  having  the  citizens'  committee 
do  all  of  the  work,  postponing  the  appointment  of  an 
official  commission  until  after  the  citizens'  committee 
had  prepared  complete  plans.  This  has  certain  advantages, 
particularly  in  a  large  city,  as  it  tends  to  create  personal 
interest  among  the  citizens  in  the  development  of  the 
plans  in  a  way  that  an  official  commission  is  not  quite  so 
likely  to  do,  because  in  the  largest  cities  the  official  com- 
mission tends  to  be  lost  in  the  great  organization  of  city 
government,  and,  furthermore,  it  often  fails  to  go  out  to 
the  citizens  and  secure  their  cooperation  at  each  stage  of 
the  proceedings.  In  the  largest  cities  the  citizens'  commit- 
tee hiis  the  further  advantage  of  being  able  to  enlist  the 
cooperation  of  those  who  are  interested  in  city  planning  in 
the  surrounding  communities,  so  that  plans  can  be  worked 
out  effectively  for  the  whole  metropolitan  area  and  not 
merely  for  the  territory  which  happens  to  be  within  the 
corporate  limits  of  the  city.  This  is  a  decided  advantage. 
It  is  most  unfortunate  that  planning  about  the  larger 
cities  stops  frequently  at  arbitrarily  prescribed  limits.  Yet 
an  official  commission  has  difficulty  in  cooperating  with 
surrounding  communities  on  account  of  the  natural  feel- 
ing of  these  communities  that  the  central  city  is  trying  to 
exploit  them  to  its  own  advantage.  However,  this  dis- 
cussion applies  to  only  a  few  of  the  larger  cities.  Else- 
where, experience  has  shown  that  unquestionably  the 
best  results  are  secured  by  an  official  city  plan  commis- 
sion as  it  can  stamp  its  planning  with  an  imperativeness 
and  finality  to  which  the  unofficial  group  could  rarely 
attain. 

The  Appropriation. — Planning  costs  money.  Very 
little  adequate  or  satisfactory  planning  has  been  done 
without  the  expenditure  of  reasonable  sums.  No  planning 
is  permanently  satisfactory  that  does  not  cover  all  of  the 
phases  of  the  physical  development  of  the  city.  For  the 
scope  of  city  planning  it  is  advisable  to  see  "A  City  Plan- 
ning Classification,"  by  James  Sturgis  Pray  and  Theodora 
Kimball,  published  by  the  Harvard  University  Press. 
With  such  vital  interests  at  stake,  affecting  the  whole 
welfare  and  success  .of  the  community,  it  is  absurd,  and, 
to  say  the  least,  extremely  short-sighted,  to  treat  the  matter 
of  appropriation  for  city  planning  in  a  parsimonious  or 
niggardly  manner.  If  possible,  the  city  government  should 
be  induced  to  make  the  whole  appropriation,  but  in  a 
number  of  cities  where  this  has  proved  too  difficult,  or 
impossible,  the  chamber  of  commerce,  or  some  other  organ- 
ization, or,  in  some  cases,  an  individual  or  a  small  group 
of  individuals,  have  furnished  the  necessary  funds.  In 
some  cases  the  money  has  been  raised  partly  by  the  city 
and  partly  outside. 

T/ie  Amount  Needed. — The  amount  of  money  necessary 
for  making  complete  comprehensive  plans  varies  more  or 


less  according  to  the  size  of  the  community,  but  it  re- 
quires somewhat  more  proportionally  in  a  small  com- 
munity than  it  does  in  a  large.  No  standard  method  of 
charging  tor  city  planning  work  has  yet  been  determined 
upon  by  the  professional  city  planners,  but,  in  general, 
they  determine  how  much  time  it  is  going  to  take  them 
and  their  helpers  to  do  the  work  and  estimate  the  total 
cost  ot  the  work  accordingly. 

Time  Needed  to  Make  Plans. — As  to  the  time  required 
to  make  comprehensive  plans,  we  find  that  it  depends 
somewhat  upon  the  size  of  the  community.  One  year 
would  be  an  absolute  minimum,  and  three  years  should  be 
a  maximum.  The  minimum  is  determined  from  the  fact 
that  it  takes  a  certain  mmimum  amount  ot  time  to  edu- 
cate the  public  up  to  a  point  where  they  will  cooper- 
ate in  the  drafting  of  the  plans,  and  the  maximum  limit 
is  based  on  the  fact  that  public  interest  and  enthusiasm 
tends  to  dwindle  when  spread  over  a  considerable  period 
of  time,  with  a  corresponding  loss  in  the  support  of  the 
plans  when  finished.  Thus,  if  complete  plans  would  cost 
350,000,  it  would  be  desirable  to  appropriate  at  least 
$20,000  a  year  until  they  were  finished.  Upon  the  com- 
pletion of  the  plans,  a  smaller  appropriation — in  the 
example  under  consideration — of  §10,000  a  year  would 
provide  tor  the  application  of  the  plans  and  the  making 
of  such  amendments  as  time  and  changing  conditions 
proved  necessary. 

Retaining  Experts. — With  the  funds  available,  the 
commission  is  ready  to  get  to  work.  City  planning  is  a 
highly  technical  subject,  and  one  in  which  great  responsi- 
bility is  involved.  No  commission  has  a  right  to  impose 
plans  on  a  community  until  it  is  thoroughly  convinced  of 
their  practicalness,  based  on  experience  with  similar  proj- 
ects in  other  cities.  This  can  be  learned  from  books  to 
only  a  very  limited  degree.  The  obvious  way  is  to  em- 
ploy as  experts  and  consultants  to  the  commission,  one  or 
more  men  who,  from  current  practice,  are  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  experience  of  other  cities  and  towns 
generally.  There  are  a  number  of  such  men  in  the  country, 
some  of  them  originally  architects  by  training,  some  land- 
scape architects,  and  some  engineers.  In  most  cases  it  is 
necessary  to  have  two,  and  sometimes  more  than  two,  of 
them  working  together,  each  bringing  into  play  his  special 
training  and  experience,  each  supplementing  the  other  in 
the  work  of  investigation  and  planning,  and  together  weigh- 
ing their  conclusions  in  the  light  of  their  common  study. 
City  Planning  is  so  vast  in  its  scope  that  it  is  physically 
impossible  for  anyone  to  be  a  safe  adviser  in  all  phases 
of  it.  All  of  these  experts  will  be  glad  to  advise  as  to  their 
qualifications,  methods,  and  charges. 

E.\-perts'  First  IVork:  the  "Survey." — The  first  work  ot 
the  experts,  once  appointed,  would  be  to  take  account  of 
stock — to  determine  the  assets  and  liabilities  ot  the  town 
from  a  city  planning  standpoint.  They  would  show  by 
maps,  charts,  and  tabulations  just  where  the  city  stands, 
relatively,  in  each  and  every  phase  of  its  physical  develop- 
ment. They  would  lay  out  a  program  of  work  and  deter- 
mine an  order  of  relative  urgency  for  the  various  problems 
which  need  to  be  studied,  so  that  those  matters  which  call 
for  special  attention  could  be  studied  first,  while  those  of 
more  remote  interest  could  be  left  until  later. 

Starting  on  a  Small  Sum. — If,  in  securing  an  appropria- 


CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


tion  or  raising  money  for  city  planning  work,  it  was  tound 
impossible  to  secure  adequate  funds  tor  the  work  which 
ought  to  be  done  during  the  first  year,  and  only  a  nominal 
sum  could  be  secured,  then  it  would  be  the  work  of  the 
experts  to  secure  as  much  value  as  possible  for  the  money 
available  and  to  concentrate  particularly  upon  doing 
those  things  which  would  show  up  graphically  and  strik- 
ingly the  urgency  ot  city  planning,  with  a  view  to  their 
being  used  in  a  campaign  to  secure  a  reasonable  appro- 
priation the  following  year. 

Educational  Campaign. — Meanwhile,  the  citizens'  com- 
mittee will  have  enlisted  the  interest  of  all  of  the  organiza- 
tions of  men  or  women  in  the  community  and,  as  far  as 
practicable,  will  have  secured  the  appointment  within 
these  organizations  of  cooperating  city  planning  com- 
mittees. Both  for  themselves  and  for  the  official  com- 
mission, they  will  have  secured  a  live  secretar) — pos- 
sibly the  same  man  for  both  bodies  at  the  beginning — who 
will  be  a  first-class  publicity  man,  oftentimes  a  newspaper 
man  by  training.  The  committee  will  hold  meetings  in 
every  part  of  the  town  before  groups  of  people  represent- 
ing all  phases  of  the  city's  life;  they  will  publish  articles 
as  often  as  possible  in  the  local  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines; they  will  hold  conferences  with  those  who  have  new 
ideas  about  any  phases  ot  city  planning,  so  as  to  bring 
out  and  make  available  for  the  use  of  the  commission  all 
ot  the  suggestions  which  citizens  can  contribute  from  their 
imagination  and  experience;  they  will  hold  exhibitions  of 
city  planning  and  competitions  tor  ideas  or  suggestions; 
they  could,  to  good  advantage,  offer  prizes  for  the  best 
short  essays  on  the  different  subjects  pertaining  to  city 
planning;  they  could  offer  prizes  among  the  school  children 
or  boy  scouts  for  the  best  photographs  of  good  or  bad 
features  of  city  planning  locally;  they  could  set  groups  of 
people,  especially  boys  and  girls,  at  work  making  local 
surveys  of  streets,  housing,  recreation,  traffic  conditions, 
and  the  like.  In  other  words,  they  could  conduct  a  general 
campaign  tor  arousing  public  interest  and  an  understand- 
ing of  city  planning.  This  campaign  ot  education  is  fully 
half  of  city  planning  work.  Without  it  the  best  of  plans 
are  liable  to  fall  flat,  as  has  happened  in  a  number  of 
instances. 

Publishing  the  "Survey." — The  preliminary  stock-tak- 
ing, or  survey,  with  its  accompanying  program  of  work 
should  be  given  full  publicity  in  the  local  newspapers  and 
magazines,  and  an  attractive  and  graphic  pamphlet  should 
be  distributed  generally  throughout  the  town.  Full  dis- 
cussion and  criticism  should  be  invited,  so  that  the  com- 
mission, in  proceeding  with  its  work,  would  have  the 
benefit,  not  only  of  the  suggestions  of  the  citizen  body, 
but  also  ot  their  support.  If  the  appropriation  for  con- 
tinuing the  work  has  not  already  been  made,  this  cam- 
paign of  publicity  should  make  it  possible  to  secure  the 
necessary  additional  funds. 

Detailed  Studies. — Then  the  commission  should  be 
ready  to  take  up  each  of  the  items  in  the  program  and 
study  them  intensively  and  in  detail,  securing  in  each  case 


the  essential  data  necessary  to  a  scientific  solution  of  the 
problem.  Frequent  conferences  and  hearings  should  be 
held  to  bring  forth  all  practicable  suggestions  and  to 
gain  the  confidence  and  enlist  the  support  of  the  people. 
The  Comprehensive  Plan. — After  a  number  of  months 
of  study  of  these  details,  such  as  transit,  street-widening, 
food-supply,  housing,  parks,  civic  art,  building  restric- 
tions, and  the  like,  they  would  be  in  a  position  where  they 
could  weave  the  detailed  plans  together  into  one  great 
comprehensive  plan  for  the  future  development  ot  the 
whole  city.  Every  feature  would  fit  into  its  proper  place 
in  the  general  plan,  and  there  would  be  a  certain  amount 
of  give  and  take  in  adjusting  the  parts  into  the  whole. 
Then  again,  the  commission  would  secure  full  discussion 
before  the  public  and,  finally,  after  certain  amendments, 
they  would  be  in  a  position  to  ask  the  city  to  adopt  the 
plans. 

Application  of  the  Plans. — This  would  mean  that,  in 
the  future,  all  public  improvements  undertaken  by  the 
city,  or  any  private  improvements,  in  so  far  as  the  city 
could  control  them,  would  be  required  to  conform  to  these 
plans.  If  new  conditions  should  arise,  the  comprehensive 
plans  would  be  amended  to  embrace  the  new  projects  in 
a  way  which  would  be  in  harmony  with  the  underlying 
principles  on  which  the  comprehensive  plans  were  based. 

Following  Up  the  Plans. — The  official  commission  would 
continue  as  the  custodian,  or  watch-dog,  if  you  will,  of 
the  comprehensive  plan  to  see  that  all  improvements  did 
conform  to  them.  If  variations  from  the  original  plans 
were  absolutely  necessary,  then  the  commission  would 
amend  the  general  plans  to  include  the  new  matter,  so 
that  it  would  be  consistent  with  the  commission's  general 
policy.  The  citizens'  committee  would  continue  to  serve  as 
the  monitor  of  the  commission,  to  see  that  the  commis- 
sion itself  was  consistent  in  its  policy  and  did  preserve  the 
integrity  of  the  plans. 

Cooperating  with  Neighboring  Communities. — Mean- 
while, both  the  commission  and  the  committee  would  be 
cooperating  officially,  or  unofficially,  as  the  case  might 
be,  with  the  surrounding  communities,  with  a  view  to 
securing  harmony  and  unity  in  the  development  of  the 
intervening  area  between  the  communities,  or  the  whole 
metropolitan  area. 

Conclusion. — There  is  no  royal  road  to  city  planning. 
Hardly  anything  that  a  city  could  undertake  will  more 
vitally  affect  the  welfare,  prosperity,  and  happiness  of 
future  generations.  The  responsibility  that  attaches  to  it 
is  correspondingly  great.  It  is  one  of  the  most  important 
duties  that  confronts  a  city,  and  it  should  be  undertaken 
in  all  seriousness,  with  an  earnest  desire  to  accomplish  the 
best  in  the  shortest  time  and  in  a  way  that  will  stand  the 
test  of  time.  If  done  in  a  desultory,  unsystematic,  and 
slipshod  manner,  it  will  cause  great  waste  and  endless 
difficulties  in  years  to  come;  but  if  carried  out  in  a  work- 
manlike manner  and  with  true  foresight  and  vision,  it 
will  be  the  most  striking  contribution  that  the  citizens 
of  today  can  make  to  the  welfare  of  those  of  tomorrow. 


San  Francisco. — Plaza  in  Residence  Park  on  the  Site  of  the  Panama-Pacific  Exposition.  \'iew  from  .1  Point  South  of  the  Plaza, 
Looking  toward  Marine  Boulevard  and  the  Bay,  with  the  Hilltops  on  the  Other  Side  of  the  Bay  in  the  Background.  Water  Color 
Sketch  by  C.  K.  Bonestell,  Jr. 


■^ii:^ 


^  -^  -ui^^2au:£ .  ■•: 


San  tkANLisco. — Perspective  of  the  Adopted  Plan,  Showing  the  Three  Heritages  of  the  Exposition,  the  Fine  .Arts  Palace,  the  Cali- 
fornia Building,  and  the  Column  of  Progress,  Preserved  Permanently  through  the  Efforts  of  the  Exposition  Preservation  League. 

.An  increased  rnarine  view  is  had  by  using  diagonals  as  streets  of  entry  to  the  Marine  Boulevard.  The  broad  avenue,  the  main 
north  and  south  axis  of  the  plan  (identical  with  the  vertical  center  line  of  the  picture)  centers  on  the  Column  of  Progress.  The  east  and 
west  axis  centers  on  the  dome  of  the  Palace  of  Fine  .Arts  at  the  west.  The  two  business  centers  are  shown  in  the  lower  right-  and 
left-hand  corners. 


City  Planning  Progress 


Akron 
Ohio 

One  ot  the  rupulK'  expanding  industrial  centers  ot  the 
Middle  West,  Akron  (85,6:5),  has  been  brought  face  to 
face  with  serious  planning  problems.  The  municipal 
authorities  and  public-spirited  citizens  have  made  earnest 
efforts  to  cope  with  the  situation,  and  in  August,  1916, 
John  Nolen,  landscape  architect,  was  engaged  to  prepare  a 
comprehensive  citv  plan  for  the  City  Improvement  Com- 
mittee of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  funds  for  which 
were  provided  by  Frank  Adams,  a  member  of  the  Chamber 
ot  Commerce.  .Akron  also  has  an  official  Citv  Planning 
Commission  organized  in  January,  1916,  appointed  by 
ordinance  of  the  Citv  Council  and  under  the  Ohio  plan- 
ning law  ot  1 91 5.  The  expenses  ot  the  Commission  are 
paid  by  the  city. 

Housing. — The  great  problem  that  is  confronting  Akron 
today  is  the  more  rational  subdivision  of  acreage  to  provide 
home-sites  for  workingmen.  The  influx  of  industrial  work- 
ers in  the  last  vear  or  two  has  placed  a  heavy  demand  upon 
the  citv  for  suitable  sites  tor  homes.  Already  the  Goodyear 
Tire  and  Rubber  Companv  has  laid  out  a  model  working- 
men's  home  district  called  "Goodyear  Heights,"  contain- 
ing about  400  acres  and  located  about  2^  miles  from 
the  city  center.  The  landscape  plans  for  this  develop- 
ment were  prepared  by  Warren  H.  Manning,  landscape 
architect,  of  Boston,  and  the  houses  were  designed  by 
Mann  &  McNeille,  architects,  of  New  York.  Since  that 
time,  the  Firestone  Tire  and  Rubber  Companv  has  laid 
out  a  site  tor  workingmen's  houses  called  "Firestone  Park" 


and  has  erected  many  houses.  The  landscape  planning 
was  done  by  Ailing  S.  de  Forest,  landscape  architect,  of 
Rochester,  and  Trowbridge  &  .Ackerman,  architects,  of 
New  York,  prepared  plans  tor  some  ot  the  houses. 

General  Plans. — According  to  Mr.  Nolen,  the  four  most 
important  things  to  be  considered  in  connection  with  the 
.Akron  city  plan  are  as  follows: 

1.  The  establishment  of  more   and   better  streets   for 

direct  communication. 

2.  More  land  tor  public  parks  and  open  spaces. 

.^.  Better  housing  accomnioilations  tor  workingmen 
(low-cost  houses  tor  sale  or  rent). 

4.  The  zoning  ot  the  city,  or  setting  apart  certain  areas 
tor  specific  uses,  as  industrial,  business  or  resi- 
dential sections. 

Alameda 

California 

A  city  planning  commission  was  created  by  a  re.solu- 
tion  of  the  City  Council  of  .Alameda  (27,7,12),  July  2, 
1916,  under   the    California    Citv  Planning   .Act  of   May 

The  ordinance  provided  tor  a  commission  composed 
ot  tour  citizens  and  members  ot  the  Street  Committee  ot 
the  City  Council.  The  terms  of  the  ordinance  were 
explicit  and  tull,  and  the  work  which  the  commission 
evidently  had  before  it  was  sufficient  in  scope  to  keep 
them  occupied  tor  many  years  to  come.  It  is  now  officially 
stated  that  the  commission  has  ceased  to  exist. 


.Akron. — Giendale  Park,  One  Block  from  Business  Center,  on  the  Site  o(  a  Former  Dum|iini;  Ground,  Converted  to  Park  Usage 
in  iQio  on  Recommendation  ot  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  through  its  Civic  Improvement  Committee  is  now  having  a  comprehensive  city  plan  prepared, 

5 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


K  'i^vv 


fW'M^ 


A?\l.;  IJ   .\    I'.KVNSER 
A>"CI(lTtCr 


Albany. — Proposed  City  Entrance. 
Albany  possesses  not  only  a  splendid  waterfront  but  a  real  city  entrance  in  a  bridge  across  the  Hudson.    It  is  not  too  much  to 
expect  that  a  dignified  entrance  to  the  city,  like  that  suggested  above,  will  be  constructed  in  the  future. 

!  Albany 

New  York 

Although  the  population  ot  Albany  (104,199),  is  but 
slightly  more  than  that  of  .Akron,  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
capital  ot  the  Empire  State,  the  oldest  chartered  city  in 
the  United  States,  and  a  city  with  many  historical  tradi- 
tions, makes  the  discussion  ot  city  planning  there  ot  more 
than  ordinary  interest.  The  city  has  officially  recognized 
citv  planning  retaining  Arnold  W.  Brunner,  architect,  and 
Charles  Downing  Lay,  landscape  architect,  of  New  York, 
to  make  studies  for  the  improvement  of  the  city  plan. 
This  action  on  the  part  of  the  city  is  largely  the  result  of 
public  sentiment,  aroused  by  the  City  Planning  Associa- 
tion, which  was  organized  in  1912.  This  .Association  was 
an  offspring  of  the  Civic  League  and  the  Chamber  ot 
Commerce,  which  had  previously  energetically  supported 
all  movements  for  the  better  planning  ot  .Albany.  The 
City  Planning  Association  dissolved  in  1914,  when  the 
citv  engaged  Messrs.  Brunner  and  Lay  to  make  studies, 
as  noted  above.  The  investigations  and  recommenda- 
tions of  these  advisers  were  published  in   a  charmingly 


Albany. — Study  for  Plaza  with  Central  Park  and  Fountain. 
The  construction  of  buildings  is  now  under  way,  with  high 
tower  seen  from  the  river  or  from  the  city  side. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Albany. — Sketch  for  Bridge  Pylons  City  Entrance,  Sliuvving 
also  Archway  Permitting  Continuation  of  Quay  Street. 

illustrated  report  entitled  "Studies  for  Albany,"  pub- 
lished in  1914.  The  experts  trankly  state  that  they  have 
made  no  attempt  to  make  a  complete  city  planning  survey 
or  to  prepare  comprehensive  plans,  and  that  their  sug- 
gestions apply  only  to  the  improvement  ot  those  features 
of  the  city  plan  which  demand  immediate  consideration. 
These  cover  a  considerable  number  ot  details  of  the  exist- 
ing plans,  such  as  the  improvement  of  Capitol  Hill,  State 
Street,  the  waterfront,  and  of  certain  parks  and  squares, 
the  revision  of  certain  details  in  the  street  system,  and  the 
extension  of  the  existing  parks  (of  which  there  are  now 
about  300  acres).  Many  of  the  recommendations  in  the 
"Studies  for  .Albany"  are  now  being  carried  out  by  the 
city,  and  some  ot  them  have  been  completed. 

Organization. — The  city  planning  work  ot  .Albany  is 
now  in  charge  of  the  Commissioners  of  Public  Works  and 
the  City  Engineer,  Frank  R.  Lanagan,  who  have  the 
benefit  of  the  advice  of  the  previously  named  experts.  The 
architects  of  .Albany  have  taken  no  part  in  city  planning, 
as  a  body,  although  there  was  recently  formed  the  .Albany 
.Architects'  and  Consulting  Engineers'  .Association,  ot 
which  Charles  V.  Merrick  is  secretary.  This  Association 
has  recently  promoted  a  friendly  competition  tor  designs 
for  city  gates  for  .Albany.  With  this  beginning,  the 
.Association  is  expected  to  do  much  in  the  future  to  help 
along  city  planning  projects. 

Housing. — Mention  should  be  made  here  also  of  the 
work  of  the  Albany  Home   Building  .Association  and  its 


.Albany. — Sketch  of  Riverfront,  Showing  lower  in  Pl.i 


two  developments  for  workingmen.  This  association  was 
organized  to  help  home-seekers  and  not  to  exploit  them, 
and  it  has  succeeded  in  accomplishing  much  in  providing 
simple  homes  ot  the  detached  type,  each  provided  with 
a  lawn  and  garden. 

Allentown 

Pennsylvania 

.Allentown  (63,505)  has  a  City  Planning  Commission 
organized  on  June  24,  191 5,  under  the  .Act  of  .Assembly  of 
1913.  .A  serious  effort  has  been  made  by  this  Commis- 
sion to  solve  some  of  the  many  planning  problems.  With 
an  appropriation  ot  ?i,950  to  date,  with  the  promise  of 


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Include  Children's  Playgrounds. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


further  increase  from  time  to  time  as  needed,  the  Commis- 
sion has  centered  its  attention  mainly  on  the  preparation 
of  a  comprehensive  city  plan,  including  territory  extend- 
ing J  miles  beyond  the  city  limits.  Frank  Koester,  con- 
sulting engineer,  of  New  York,  has  been  engaged  as 
adviser  and  is  now  at  work  on  a  report  which  is  soon  to 
be  published.  To  the  .support  of  this  work,  Colonel  H.  C. 
Trexler,  President  of  the  City  Planning  Commission, 
Malcolm  W.  Gross,  City  Solicitor  and  Secretary  to  the 
Commission,  and  F.  J.  Lumley,  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, have  given  much  thought  and  time.  A  local  archi- 
tect is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  Commission. 

Alton 

Illinois 

Alton  (22,824)  is  one  of  the  smaller  cities  that  has 
seized  the  opportunity  for  really  constructive  planning 
which  its  limited  size,  population,  and  intensity  of  develop- 
ment presents.  Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  was  engaged  in  1913  to  make  a  city  planning  study 
for  the  Board  of  Trade.  Mr.  Robin.son  submitted  his 
report,  entitled  "The  .'\dvancement  of  .'\lton,"  in  January, 
1914.  It  is  not  only  a  worthy  contribution  to  the  solu- 
tion of  city  planning  problems,  but  it  is  interesting  read- 
ing, as  all  of  Mr.  Robinson's  reports  are.  He  presents  his 
recommendations  by  discussing,  first,  the  results  of  his 
survey  of  the  situation  in  Alton,  and  takes  up  in  order 
the  railroads,  the  riverfront,  the  street  and  park  systems, 
and  concludes  with  a  discussion  of  civic  art  and  municipal 
engineering.  Although  Mr.  Robinson  finds  many  things 
to  criticize  in  .Alton,  he  commends  its  picturesque  site, 
so  wonderfully  rich  in  natural  beauty,  its  bright  industrial 
future,  the  view  which  it  has  taken  in  city  planning,  its 
segregation  of  the  industrial  section,  its  splendid  park, 
and,  best  of  all,  the  alert,  forward-looking  spirit  which 
has  made  even  the  Board  of  Trade  ready  to  listen  to 
unpleasant  facts  if  the  advancement  of  the  city  may  be 
so  secured.  ."Mton  has  so  plainly  the  making  of  a  beautiful, 
livable,  and  efficient  city,  and  is  so  clearly  on  the  threshold 
of  opportunity,  that  he  devotes  much  of  his  report  to 
pointing  out  the  untoward  things  that  stand  in  the  way 
ot  this  progress. 

Altoona 

Pennsylvania 

In  March,  1916,  the  City  Council  of  Altoona  (58,659) 
appointed  a  City  Planning  Commission  under  the  .'\ct  ot 
19IJ  for  third  class  cities  ot  Pennsylvania.  The  appoint- 
ment was  the  result  of  a  strong  public  demand.  A  majority 
of  the  City  Commissioners  were  actually  opposed  to  the 
creation  of  a  commission,  and  so  no  financial  support  has 
been  forthcoming.  Nevertheless,  the  City  Planning  Com- 
mission is  gaining  intluence,  and  several  cases  have  been 
referred  to  it  for  investigation  and  advice.  So  far,  no 
comprehensive  plan  for  the  entire  city  and  the  surround- 
ing districts  has  been  attempted,  but  the  Commission  will 
take  up  this  work  as  soon  as  the  citizens  can  mduce  the 
City  Commissioners  to  appropriate  money  for  necessary 
investigations  and  for  the  preparation  ot  such  a  plan. 


Accomplishments. — There  are  at  present  three  parks 
owned  by  the  city,  having  an  aggregate  area  ot  about  12 
acres.  Outside  the  city  limits  there  is  a  city-owned  park 
of  19  acres.  There  are  no  boulevards  in  the  city,  and  street 
trees  are  lacking,  but  there  is  a  strong  movement  to  have 
more  trees  planted  and  to  secure  the  development  of  grass 
strips  along  the  sidewalks.  In  the  downtown  sections, 
overhead  wires,  excepting  trolley  wires,  have  been  entirely 
eliminated,  and  lighting  standards  of  good  design  have 
been  installed  along  the  main  thoroughtares.  There  are 
tour  grade  crossings  in  the  city  on  a  branch  line  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  but  none  on  the  main  line.  The 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  is  working  on  plans  to  make  exten- 
sive improvements  in  its  passenger  terminal  facilities  and 
for  a  proper  station  building. 

IVork  of  the  Commission. — The  first  work  that  the  City 
Planning  Commission  undertook  was  to  prepare  plans  for 
the  widening  of  certain  streets.  With  no  money  appro- 
priated to  carry  out  these  plans,  they  have  merely  been 
placed  on  the  accepted  street  map  but  will  serve  as  a 
guide  for  the  future.  .\  Pennsylvania  law  forbids  build- 
ing across  an  established  street  line,  and  so,  whenever  a 
new  building  goes  up,  it  will  stand  back  from  the  present 
street  and  within  the  lines  established  by  the  Commission. 
Ultimately,  therefore,  the  recommended  widenings  will 
be  accomplished  throughout  the  length  of  the  various 
streets.  In  a  similar  way,  the  City  Planning  Commission 
has  also  provided  for  the  opening  in  the  future  of  a  neces- 
sary thoroughfare. 

Those  Active  in  City  Planning. — The  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce and  the  Real  Estate  Exchange  are  the  organiza- 
tions that  have  most  actively  pushed  city  planning  in 
.Altoona.  In  1916  the  City  Planning  Exhibit  of  the 
•American  City  Bureau  was  brought  to  the  city.  S.  J.  Shol- 
lar,  architect,  is  president  of  the  City  Planning  Commis- 
sion, and  R.  Max  Lewis  is  secretary.  Henry  E.  Bodine, 
manager  of  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce,  W.  C.  Westtall, 
president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  F.  Woods  Beck- 
man,  secretary  of  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce,  and  E.  M.  S. 
McKee,  president  ot  the  .Altoona  Real  Estate  Exchange,  are 
a  few  of  those  active  in  city  planning  work. 

Atascadero 

California 

In  July,  1913,  the  .Atascadero  estate  ot  23,000  acres, 
located  in  San  Luis  Obispo  County,  Cal.,  was  purchased 
by  the  Colony  Holding  Corporation  for  approximately 
?i, 000,000.     The   corporation    was    chartered    under    the 


Atascadf.ro. — The  Printery  in   the  Civic  Center,  Now  Com- 
pleted. The  town  is  the  home  of  a  widely  circulated  magazine. 


CITY   PLANNING    PROCURESS 


Atlanta 

Georgia 


Atascadero. — Administration  Building  in  the  Civic  Center, 
Now  Completed. 

There  are  23,000  acres  in  the  entire  development. 

laws  of  California  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  colony 
providing  ideal  conditions  for  residence  and  industry. 

Preliminary  Work. — The  entire  community,  covering 
an  area  about  twice  the  size  of  the  island  of  Manhattan, 
New  York,  with  its  residential  district,  its  civic  and 
industrial  centers,  its  agricultural  and  horticultural  sec- 
tions, its  parks,  roads,  sanitarv  system,  and  public  insti- 
tutions, was  laid  out  in  advance.  The  surveys  of  the  prop- 
erty occupied  a  year  and  a  halt  and  cost  over  :?250,ooo, 
including  exhaustive  soil,  lineal,  thermal,  and  mineral 
surveys.  The  purpose  of  these  surveys  was  to  determine 
the  character  and  best  use  of  the  soil  throughout  the  area, 
and  onlv  such  lands  as  were  found  to  reach  the  standard 
of  qualitv  which  had  been  fixed  are  sold  tor  agricultural 
or  horticultural  purposes. 

The  Site  Plan. — The  site  is  located  on  the  coastline 
of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway,  haltwav  between  San 
Francisco  and  Los  .Angeles,  but  a  tew  miles  troni  the 
seashore.  The  civic  and  industrial  centers  were  laid  out 
on  plans  drawn  by  Bliss  &  Faville,  architects,  of  San 
Francisco.  The  administration  building  and  a  printery 
in  the  civic  center  are  now  completed,  and  a  large  depart- 
ment store  is  being  constructed.  Surrounding  the  civic 
and  industrial  centers  is  the  residential  district  ot  some 
2,400  acres,  and  surrounding  that,  the  orchard  area  ot 
12,000  acres,  ot  which  3,000  acres  have  already  been 
planted.  .Approximately  5,000  acres  have  been  reserved 
throughout  the  entire  estate  for  parks.  The  banks  of  all 
streams,  and  trom  20  to  70  acres  surrounding  each  lake, 
have  also  been  reserved  for  parks. 

Improvements. — Up  to  the  present  time,  60  miles  of 
roads  and  17  miles  of  streets  have  been  permanently 
paved;  21  miles  of  permanent  water  mains  have  been 
installed  throughout  the  residential  section;  over  3,000 
acres  of  the  orchard  planted;  and  nearly  1,000  dwellings 
have  been  erected.  The  sum  of  $2,000,000  has  been 
expended  on  improvements,  and  the  state  of  California 
has  recently  authorized  a  bond  issue  of  i\,-j ^0,000  tor 
the  completion  of  the  permanent  improvements. 

E.  G.  Lewis  is  president  ot  the  Colony  Holding  Cor- 
poration. 


The  jKople  of  .Atlanta  (190,558)  have  been  vitally 
interested  for  a  number  of  vcars  in  a  civic  enterprise 
which,  it  carried  out,  will  be  the  largest  ever  undertaken 
by  them,  namely,  the  construction  of  what  is  known  as 
"The  Plaza."  The  city  is  now  almost  equally  divided  by 
railroad  tracks.  In  the  heart  of  the  business  district  these 
tracks  are  spanned  by  three  bridges.  Such  restricted  routes 
tor  traffic  across  the  railroad  barrier,  combined  with  the 
tact  that  without  other  aggravating  conditions,  the  city's 
street  system  in  this  section  is  i]uite  irregular  anil  likely  to 
produce  congestion,  make  "The  Plaza"  plan  ot  peculiar 
interest  from  the  traffic  standpoint.  Further  along  the 
railroad  are  unattractive  wholesale  houses  and  conditions 
that  are  unsanitary  and  offensive  to  the  eye.  The  freight 
terminals  and  the  old  passenger  station  called  "Union 
Station,"  built  in  1871,  and  a  newer  station  built  in  1904, 
the  two  latter  lying  about  five  blocks  apart,  and  the 
depressed  right  of  way,  constitute  the  present  transporta- 
tional  development  which  is  causing,  and  has  causetl,  great 
inconvenience  to  the  city. 

"The  Plaza"  Plan. — Early  in  1909  .Atlanta's  Chamber  ot 
Commerce  requested  the  members  of  the  .Atlanta  Chapter 
of  the  .American  Institute  of  .Architects  to  submit  to  them 
any  tentative  sketches  which  the  architects  might  devise 
for  the  improvement  of  the  city.  .A  meeting  of  the  Chapter 
was  called  shortly  after  to  consider  the  request,  and  the 
members  present  were  assigned  to  those  problems  which 
most  interested  them.  To  Haralson  Bleckley  tell  the 
problem  ot  devising  a  solution  for  the  conditions  above  out- 
Hned.  Mr.  Bleckley  had  previously  given  much  thought 
and  study  to  the  railroad  situation,  even  as  early  as  1895, 
and  his  "Plaza"  plan,  submitted  after  careful  study,  con- 
templated a  street  to  be  built  over  the  tracks,  level  with 
the  viaduct  grades  and  running  parallel  to  and  over  the 
rails.  The  area  affected  was  to  be  all  the  land  now  occu- 
pied by  the  railroad  for  a  distance  ot  five  blocks,  or  a 
total  length  of  1,87?  feet  and  varying  in  width  from  125  to 


Ari.ANrA. —  The  f-irstjl'la/a  Flan,  the  Railroad  I  r.icks  IJcckcd 
Over  in  a  Broad,  Park-like  .Approach  to  the  Railroad   rerminai. 


lO 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


250  feet.  When  this  plan  was  presented  to  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  it  created  considerable  interest  and  was 
endorsed  by  the  Chamber  and  most  of  the  other  improve- 
ment organizations  of  the  city.  Then  the  newspapers  took 
it  up,  the  pubhc  received  it  with  enthusiasm,  and,  in  1910, 
a  bill  calling  for  this  improvement  was  presented  to  the 
legislature  but  never  came  to  a  vote  in  the  House. 

Recent  Studies  for  "The  Plaza." — Early  in  1916,  the 
city,  jointly  with  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  employed 
Barclay  Parsons  and  Klapp,  consulting  engineers,  of  New 
York,  to  work  out  detailed  plans  along  the  lines  proposed 
by  Mr.  Bleckley.  The  report  of  the  engineers,  submitted 
in  the  latter  part  of  1916,  voices  the  opinion  that  the 
Bleckley  scheme  is  not  drastic  enough;  that  the  existing 
stations  cannot  be  sufficiently  enlarged  on  their  pres- 
ent sites,  nor  the  right  of  way  decked  over  except  with 
electrification;  that  the  scheme  would  leave  the  freight 
yards  as  a  terminal  nuisance  barely  outside  of  the  best 
business  district.  The  engineers  therefore  recommend  the 
building  of  a  new  station  tor  all  ot  .'Atlanta's  railroads  about 
five  blocks  northeast  of  the  present  terminal  station,  on 
the  site  of  the  present  freight  yards,  and  the  replacement 
of  these  freight  facilities  bv  others  removed  from  the  busi- 
ness section.  They  also  recommend  the  construction  ot 
a  two-track  tunnel  for  the  use  of  passenger  trains  only; 
the  filling  in  of  the  entire  railroad  area  around  and  above 
these  tunnels  and  its  conversion  into  a  park,  the  aban- 
donment of  the  two  existing  stations;  the  construction  ot 
a  street  over  the  tunnel  tracks,  and  the  abandonment  ot 
all  industrial  tracks  on  the  area.  The  new  plans  locate 
the  tunnel  and  Plaza  slightly  nearer  the  present  Union 
Station,  otherwise  the  Plaza  in  the  new  scheme  includes 
all  of  the  area  contemplated  in  the  Bleckley  scheme  and 
a  much  larger  area  west,  i.  e.,  in  the  direction  of  the  old 
terminal  station.  The  estimated  cost  of  the  project  is 
16,500,000  and  for  the  Plaza  alone  $2,500,000. 


LCCCND 
^^  Oull/nei  of  Pfooosed  Plan 

and fknf  5ir%e^s 

Proposed  Tracks 

Tunnei  Tracks 

Oaf  lines  ofEtisting  Pacilillci 

hbe/^/ncnd 


Atlanta. — Plaza  Plan  of  1916,  with  Proposed  New  Railroad 
Station  Adequate  for  Traffic  of  All  Roads  and  Facing  Directly 
on  the  Plaza. 

The  plan  calls  for  the  removal  of  the  freight  facilities  entirely 
out  of  the  district,  the  construction  of  a  two-track  entrance  tunnel 
for  the  use  of  passenger  trains  and  the  building  of  a  street  and 
plaza  on  the  earth  fill. 


Sanitation. — In  1910  the  people  of  Atlanta  voted  a 
bond  issue  to  the  amount  of  $3,000,000.  This  money  was 
used  for  various  public  improvements  including  the 
extension  of  the  sewer  and  water-supply  systems,  the  con- 
struction of  an  up-to-date  sewage  disposal  plant  costing 
more  than  $1,000,000,  and  the  erection  of  twelve  modern 
brick  school  buildings. 

Parks  and  Recreation. — Atlanta  is  giving  much  atten- 
tion to  her  system  of  parks.  She  has  thirty-one  parks  in 
all:  Grant,  Piedmont,  Lakewood,  and  a  number  of  small 
ones.  In  1909  the  city  employed  a  landscape  architect  to 
come  to  Atlanta  and  make  plans  for  a  complete  park  sys- 
tem. This  was  done,  and  the  city  is  now  systematically 
at  work  carrying  out  these  plans.  There  is  no  central  park. 
All  of  the  parks  are  located  in  outlying  sections,  and  the 
plans  for  boulevard  connections  are  now  being  worked  out 
in  detail.  In  1908  Atlanta  commenced  the  work  of  provid- 
ing playgrounds,  and  she  now  has  an  efficient  system.  The 
proposal  has  been  made  that  schools  be  used  as  social  cen- 
ters, but,  so  far,  authority  tor  this  has  not  been  granted. 

Chamber  oj  Commerce  City  Plan  Committee. — The 
Atlanta  Chamber  of  Commerce  has  a  City  Plan  Commit- 
tee, but  beyond  the  efforts  of  the  Committee  in  working 
out  the  Plaza  plan,  nothing  tangible  has  been  accomplished. 
The  city  suffers  considerably  from  congestion  in  the  busi- 
ness section,  the  older  part  of  the  town,  and  it  is  likely  that 
she  will  be  forced  to  consider  some  comprehensive  plan 
which  will  reduce  the  difficulties  in  this  particular  area 
at  least.  In  19IJ  the  Atlanta  Improvement  Commission 
was  appointed  by  the  Mayor.  Without  support,  nothing 
has  been  accomplished  by  that  body. 

Board  oJ  Consulting  Engineers. — Early  in  1917  a  Board 
of  Consulting  Engineers  was  authorized  by  a  city  ordi- 
nance, and  five  members  have  been  appointed  by  the 
Mayor  on  recommendation  of  affiliated  technical  societies 
of  Atlanta.  The  Board  will  serve  without  pay  and  will 
advise  and  assist  on  the  various  city  planning  problems 
that  arise,  whether  of  sanitation,  street  improvement  and 
extension,  fire-protection  laws  and  the  like.  It  is  the  inten- 
tion of  the  Board  to  call  in  the  specialists,  as  occasion  may 
arise,  to  assist  them  in  working  out  solutions  tor  problems 
presented  to  them.  Hal  Hentz,  member  of  the  American 
Institute  of  Architects,  is  a  member  of  this  Board. 

Georgia  Chapter  American  Institute  oJ  Architects. — In 
191 5  the  Georgia  Chapter  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Architects,  of  which  John  Robert  Dillon  was  then  presi- 
dent, took  advantage  of  an  unusual  opportunity  to  assist 
the  city  of  .Atlanta  in  an  important  civic  improvement,  k 
movement  had  been  launched  by  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce for  the  institution  of  a  permanent  fair,  represent- 
ing the  interests  of  all  the  southeastern  states.  In  the 
early  stages  the  directors  of  the  fair  sought  the  counsel 
of  various  chapter  members,  and  as  a  result  of  their  advice, 
entrusted  to  the  Chapter,  in  a  large  measure,  the  selection 
of  a  site,  the  general  outlining  of  procedure,  and  final 
development  of  an  architectural  and  landscape  scheme  tor 
the  institution.  The  Chapter  members  instituted  a  com- 
petition among  themselves,  to  be  judged  by  themselves, 
for  the  preliminary  plan  and  design  of  a  central  group. 
The  members  of  the  Chapter  served  the  Fair  Association 
without  pay  and  gave  unsparingly  of  their  time  and  ad- 
vice.   Aside  from  securing  a  design  which  would  bare  the 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


II 


stamp  and  approval  of  the  profession  locally,  it  t'elt  that  this  size,  where  ,100  or  more  acres  is  the  modern  rcquire- 

the  Chapter  took  a  distinct  step  forward  in  the  estima-  ment,  and  shows  that  present  needs  in  one  direction  at 

tion  of  the  public  by  its  harmonious  and  generous  parti-  least,  and  wise  foresight  in  others,  demand  that  Auburn 

cipation  in  a  work  ot  such  peculiar  interest.  undertake  the  work  of  comprehensive  planning. 


Atlantic  City 

New  Jersey 

A  City  Planning  Commission  was  appointed  in  .Atlantic 
City  (57,660)  several  years  ago.  Dr.  J.  B.  Thompson,  a 
member  of  the  Commission,  was  particularly  active  in  its 
work.  Carrere  and  Hastings,  architects,  of  New  York, 
have  prepared  tentative  plans  for  the  improvement  of 
the  city.  There  is  a  City  Beautiful  Committee,  of  which 
William  B.  Bell  is  secretary.  J.  W.  Hacknev,  Citv 
Engineer,  is  interested  in  comprehensive  planning. 

Auburn 

New  York. 

Situated  in  the  very  heart  ot  the  lake  country  of  cen- 
tral New  York,  and  served  by  a  network  ot  railroad  and 
trolley  lines,  .Auburn  (37,385)  has  enjoyed  a  normal 
physical  development.  Streets  are  bordered  by  fine  shade 
trees;  slum  districts  are  noticeably  absent;  there  is  excel- 
lent natural  drainage,  and  a  splendid  water-supply  is 
obtained  from  the  Owasco  Lake,  which  with  its  7,400 
acres  of  water  surface  borders  the  city.  But  the  city  has 
taken  no  steps  looking  to  the  preparation  of  a  rational 
plan  for  its  future  growth.  No  comprehensive  scheme  has 
been  devised.  The  city  is  possessed  of  only  20  acres  of 
parks.    This  is  an  absurdly  small  proportion  tor  a  citv  ot 


Austin 
Texas 

In  Austin  (34,814),  the  scat  of  the  State  University, 
with  two  exceptions,  namely,  work  on  public  parks  and 
recreation,  the  problems  of  city  planning  have  not  been 
studied  nor  their  solution  attempted.  The  park  system 
consists  of  43  acres  ot  city  parks,  220  acres  of  state-owned 
parks  and  public  grounds,  and  4K  miles  of  park  boule- 
vards, the  latter  financed  jointly  by  the  city  and  abutting 
property  owners.  Honorable  A.  P.  Wooldridge,  Mayor, 
Prof.  Herman  James,  Edward  T.  Paxton,  Secretary  of 
the  Bureau  ot  Municipal  Research  and  Reference,  Hugo 
F.  Kuhne,  and  F.  F.  Giesecke,  the  latter  a  member  of  the 
.American  Institute  ot  Architects'  Committee  on  Town 
Planning,  are  the  persons  actively  interested  in  local 
city  planning. 

Baguio 

Philippine  Islands 

In  1902,  soon  after  the  inception  of  Civil  Government 
in  the  Philippine  Islands,  the  Philippine  Commission,  of 
which  William  Howard  Taft  was  then  chairman,  felt  the 
pressing  need  of  providing  a  mountain  resort  where,  not 
only  the  F'ilipinos,  but  Americans  and  foreigners,  might 
find  ready  means  ot  recuperation  in  a  temperate  climate. 


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Baguio. — Suiiinicr  Cipit.il  of  the  Philippines,  Planned  by  the  United  States  Government  about  1905. 
The  plan  shown  has  now  been  executed,  including  the  roads  and  nearly  all  the  public  buildings. 


12 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


As  soon  as  this  idea  was  broached,  many  prospects  revealed 
themselves  to  the  Commission.  In  the  first  phice,  this 
resort  was  to  become  the  summer  capital,  where  several 
thousand  officials  and  employees  of  the  Government  might 
work  to  better  advantage,  especially  during  the  three  or 
four  months  of  extreme  hot  weather  in  Manila;  it  might 
serve,  also,  as  a  general  health  resort  with  sanitaria  and 
hospitals,  both  public  and  private;  again,  it  might  provide 
special  opportunities  for  physical  and  mental  development 
for  boys  and  girls  at  ages  when  development  proceeds  to 
much  better  advantage  in  temperate  rather  than  in  tropi- 
cal climates.  .Also,  it  was  expected  that  the  United  States 
Army,  as  well  as  the  United  States  Navy,  would  establish 
military  and  naval  posts,  and  that  various  social  and 
religious  institutions  would  locate  there.  This  great  pro- 
ject, conceived  in  1902,  has  now  been  realized.  The  city 
of  Baguio,  as  the  new  town  is  called,  lies  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  about  5,000  feet,  on  a  mountain  plateau  of  ex- 
tremely irregular  topography.  As  soon  as  the  site  was 
made  accessible  by  the  completion  ot  the  Benguet  road  in 
1905,  the  Philippine  Commission  sought  the  best  possible 
advice  in  planning  the  city  and  had  the  late  Daniel  H. 
Burnham,  after  visiting  the  city,  make  a  general  pre- 
liminary plan.  At  the  end  of  the  year  1905,  William  E. 
Parsons  arrived  in  the  Philippines  and  took  up  the  duties 
of  consulting  architect  for  the  Government.  His  first 
work  was  to  make  a  plan  for  actual  and  immediate  execu- 
tion, and,  in  doing  so,  he  followed  the  general  lines  of  the 
Burnham  preliminary  plan,  as  far  as  topographical  and 
other  conditions  would  permit,  at  the  same  time  extending 
the  plan  so  as  to  include  a  much  larger  area.  The  plan 
shown  herewith  has  now  been  executed,  including  the 
roads  and  nearly  all  of  the  public  buildings.  In  addition  to 
the  physical  plan  there  was  a  complete  districting  or 
zoning  plan.  The  restrictions  as  to  the  use  of  land,  both 
for  business  and  residence,  as  dratted  by  the  consulting 
architect  in  1906,  have  been  in  successful  operation  since 
that  time. 


Baltimore 

Maryland 

.As  in  most  other  .American  cities,  early  planning  work 
in  Baltimore  (589,621)  had  the  serious  defect  that,  in 
attempting  to  provide  completely  for  the  future,  it  put 
all  streets  upon  substantially  the  same  footing,  regard- 
less of  their  relative  importance  and  probable  character, 
and  entirely  disregarded  the  best  uses  for  lands  of  varying 
character.  In  1900,  the  Municipal  .Art  Society,  of  which 
Theodore  Marburg  was  president,  called  in  Olmsted 
Brothers,  of  Brookline,  Mass.,  to  undertake  a  careful 
general  examination  of  the  suburban  portion  ot  the  city 
and  to  report  on  the  best  treatment  adapted  to  that  area, 
particularly  with  a  view  to  the  reservations  ot  park  spaces 
and  to  the  development  of  main  lines  of  communication. 
In  spite  of  the  limited  funds  available  for  the  studies  out- 
lined, the  report,  which  was  published  in  1904,  presented  a 
remarkably  interesting  and  fairly  complete  analysis  of 
the  city  planning  situation  in  Baltimore  and  outlined  a 
program  for  the  acquisition  of  new  park  areas  and  boule- 
vards. Shortly  after  the  presentation  of  the  report  to  the 
city,  $1,000,000  was  authorized  tor  the  acquisition  of  park 
land. 

Suburban  Planning. — One  important  feature  which  it 
was  hoped  to  embody  in  the  Olmsted  report  of  1904,  but 
which  it  was  found  impracticable  to  include  because  of 
the  expense  involved  in  its  preparation,  was  a  plan  tor 
the  extension  of  the  city  into  the  undeveloped  suburbs  to 
replace  the  prevailing  gridiron  system.  The  cost  ot  such 
a  plan,  involving  minute  topographical  work,  was  so  great 
that  it  was  postponed,  but  subsequently  taken  up  by  the 
municipality  under  the  direction  of  Mayor  Joseph  W. 
Shirley,  as  noted  hereafter. 

Jones  Falls  and  Civic  Center  Improvements. — The  Olm- 
sted park  plan  being  well  under  way,  the  Municipal  Art 
Society  and  the  Merchants'  and  Manufacturers'  .Associa- 


:^^Ar\  ^^, 


Baltimore. — The  Civic  Center  Now  Being  Constructed  with  .Appropriations  Made  .Annually  by  the  Cit 


CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


1 


tion  presently  telt  that  the  time  h;ul  come  to  priiviile  a 
plan  tor  certam  desirahle  improvements  in  the  city  proper. 
Accortlingly,  in  January,  1906,  they  jointly  employed 
John  M.  Carrere,  Arnold  W.  Brimner,  and  Frederick  Law 
Olmsted  to  study  the  central  section.  In  approaching 
their  problem  the  experts  adopted  the  plan  of  considering 
various  pressing  needs  ot  the  city  as  they  arose.  The 
results  ot  their  studies  are  embodied  in  a  volume  entitled 
"Partial  Report  on  City  Plan,"  published  in  1910.  This 
was  regarded  simply  as  the  first  step  toward  a  comprehen- 
sive city  plan. 

The  proposals  submitted  dealt  with: 

1.  Moditication     of     the     railway     crossings     in     south 

Baltimore. 

2.  A  project  for  a  great  union  station  tor  all  the  railroatis. 

3.  A  civic  center  project. 

4.  A  boulevard  development  over  Jones  Falls,  a  stream 

running  through  the  heart  of  the  city. 

5.  Plan  for  extension  ot  Howard  Street  as  a  new  thor- 

oughfare. 

As  a  result  of  these  studies,  a  portion  ot  the  land  neces- 
sary for  the  civic  center  has  already  been  acquired,  the 
city  being  required  by  ordinance  to  appropriate  #ioo,oco 
annually  for  this  purpose.  The  treatment  recommended 
for  Jones  Falls  has  been  carried  out  and  is  now  completed. 
The  stream  is  carried  in  conduits,  and  a  boulevard  has 
been  built  above  it.  Owing  to  insufficient  public  support, 
the  project  for  establishing  a  union  station  tailed  ot  realiza- 
tion and  is  still  far  from  being  solved,  although  much  more 
attention  is  now  being  given  by  the  city  to  the  location  of, 
and  approaches  to,  station  buildings. 

Official  Citv  P/aii  Commission. — .After  the  submission 
of  the  partial  city  plan  report,  a  commission  known  as 
the  "Commission  on  City  Plan"  was  appointed  in  1910 
under  act  of  the  Maryland  Legislature  (Chapter  114)  and 
is,  still  in  existence.  No  fixed  yearly  appropriation  for  its 
work  is  made,  although  from  time  to  time  appropriations 
are  made  by  the  Mayor  and  City  Council.  Ot  this  Com- 
mission, Josias  Pennington,  member  ot  the  American  In- 
stitute of  .Architects,  is  chairman. 

General  Slreel  Plan  of  Topographical  Survey  Commis- 
sion.—  During  the  past  five  years,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Topographical  Survey  Commission,  ot  which  Mayor 
Joseph  W.  Shirley  is  Chief  Engineer,  a  general  street  plan 
for  the  layout  ot  undeveloped  areas  has  been  adopted, 
and  no  street  can  be  made  public  unless  the  same  conforms 
to  this  plan  or  this  plan  amended  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  ot  the  law.  An  effort  is  made  to  gain  the  con- 
fidence of  all  land-developers  with  a  view  to  working  out  a 
street  system  which  will  follow  this  general  plan  and  at 
the  same  time  give  to  the  owners  the  results  they  desire. 
It  has  been  found  that  much  good  can  be  accomplished 
by  this  cooperation  between  the  city's  planning  depart- 
ment and  the  developers  of  private  lands. 

Streets. — .\.  general  study  for  the  widening  and  extend- 
ing of  existing  streets  has  also  been  made,  and  the  plans 
are  being  carried  to  completion  as  rapidly  as  the  funds  of 
the  city  will  permit.  .A  general  system  of  grades  has  been 
adopted  for  all  existing  and  proposed  streets,  and  on  this 
system  of  grades  has  been  established  the  sanitary  system 
and  a  storm-water  drain  system. 

Railroads. — There  have  been,  up  to  the  present  time. 


no  plans  adopted  for  the  establishment  of  rapid-transit 
facilities  other  than  the  ordinary  electric  surface  cars. 
The  location  of  new  railway  lines  anil  the  rerouting  and 
rescheduling  of  present  lines  are  controlleii  by  the  Public 
Service  Commission.  In  the  liistribution  of  freight,  a 
belt-line  railroatl,  to  be  operated  by  the  municipality,  is 
now  being  installed,  and  a  project  for  the  iniilding  of  a 
tunnel  tor  all  the  through  freight  ot  all  the  railroads  is 
being  agitated.  .\  general  effort  is  being  made  to  eliminate 
all  railroad  crossings,  and  in  the  laying  out  of  new  streets 
the  prevention  ot  gratle  crossings  is  an  important  objective. 

Piers. — Nine  municipal  piers  have  recently  been  built, 
costing  over  $9,000,000;  the  harbor  has  been  deepeneil,  and 
a  channel  35  feet  deep  maile  tor  outgoing  ocean  freight,  at 
a  cost  ot  nearly  ;f3,ooo,ooo.  Certain  local  corporations  are 
proposing  to  spend  about  J7 5 ,000,000  on  their  terminals 
in  the  harbor. 

Housing. — The  housing  of  the  man  ot  very  moderate 
means  is  accomplished,  as  a  rule,  by  the  building  of  two- 
story  brick  houses  in  rows.  Certain  large  iniiustrial 
plants,  recently  established  in  Baltimore  and  vicinity, 
have  been  purchasing  ground  tor  the  housing  ot  their 
employees.  Baltimore  has  high-class  residential  develop- 
ments known  as  Roland  Park  and  (luilford,  both  of  which 
have  been  developed  along  the  most  motiern  lines  under 
the  direction  of  E.  H.  Bouton. 

Recreation. — In  the  matter  of  recreation,  distinct 
progress  is  being  made,  but  no  plan  has  been  establisheil 
tor  purchasing  areas  for  playgrountis  in  a  forehandeil 
manner.  , 

Zoning. — Districting  and  zoning  on  a  comprehensive 
scale  have  not  been  attempted  but  are  now  being  agitated. 
A  law  (Chapter  42,  Laws  of  Marylanti,  1904)  regulates 
the  height  ot  buildings  on  Mount  \ernon  Place  and  Wash- 
ington Place,  surrounding  the  Washington  Monument. 
.\  law  has  also  been  passed  restricting  the  height  of  build- 
ings, so  that  no  building  shall  be  made  more  than  1 75  feet 
high.  No  tenement  or  apartment  house  may  be  built 
higher  than  ten  stories  and  a  basement,  nor  more  than  125 
feet  high,  and  no  tenement  or  apartment  house  may  be 
made  more  than  five  stories  and  a  basement  in  height, 
nor  more  than  70  feet  high,  without  being  made  a  fire- 
proof building.  Every  building  more  than  85  feet  in  height 
must  be  made  a  fireproof. 

Bangor 

Maine 

When,  in  April,  1911,  a  sweeping  fire  destroyed  55 
acres  ot  highly  developeii  property  in  Bangor  (26,^59), 
the  citizens  immediately  held  a  mass  meeting  to  consider 
ways  and  means  of  building  wisely  in  the  destroyed  dis- 
trict. .As  a  result,  the  Mayor  appointed  a  Civic  Commis- 
sion to  study  the  burned  district  and  to  report  on  it  with 
suggestions  for  improvements.  V .  V .  Bragg  was  appointed 
secretary  ot  the  Commission,  of  which  P.  H.  Coombs  was 
chairman.  The  Commission  retained  Warren  H.  Manning, 
of  Boston,  as  adviser,  and  building  permits  were  with- 
held until  his  report  could  be  publicly  considereii  and 
acted  upon.  Mr.  Manning's  report,  which  was  prepared  in 
record  time,  was  printed  in  a  small  pamphlet  of  about  a 


14 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


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Bangor. — Kenduskeag  Basin  and  Proposed  Treatment,  the 
Most  Important  Recommendation  in  the  Phm  for  the  Burned 
District. 

dozen  pages,  and  presents  a  brief  analysis  of  the  city  plan 
and  its  relation  to  the  outlying  districts,  followed  by  ten 
recommendations  for  improvement,  each  presented  in  one 
definite  sentence.  Later,  each  recommendation  is  repeated 
and  amplified.  As  the  success  of  the  report  depended  on 
the  strong  immediate  support  ot  the  public  at  large,  and 
as  time  did  not  allow  the  use  ot  photographs  to  attract  the 
eye,  it  was  printed  in  this  cheaper  form  so  that  it  could 
be  widely  distributed.  The  report  recognizes  that  radial 
streets  and  street-terminal  vistas  give  Bangor  its  greatest 
city  plan  distinction,  and  that  the  Penobscot  and  Ken- 
duskeag  Valleys  are  the  city's  greatest  natural  features. 
The  introduction  emphasizes  the  great  commercial  future 
of  Bangor  as  a  distributing  center  and  makes  recommenda- 
tions for  the  improvements  of  these  elements  of  the  plan. 
A  civic  center  is  recommended,  and  miscellanous  matters 
are  discussed  briefly. 

Results. — The  work  of  the  Commission  did  not  end 
with  the  presentation  of  the  report  but  began  in  earnest. 
At  a  mass  meeting  the  city  was  astonished  at  the  enthusi- 
asm which  was  displayed  for  the  report.  The  City  Com- 
missioners were  instructed  to  carry  out  the  plan  as  far  as 
possible.  Then  it  was  presented  to  the  city  fathers,  and, 
though  some  opposition  was  found  in  that  quarter,  the 
plan  was  eventually  endorsed.  Finally,  a  number  of  streets 
were  widened  and  straightened,  and  sites  for  public  build- 
ings were  acquired  in  accordance  with  the  plans.  At  the 
present  time,  the  continuation  of  the  work  is  held  in 
check. 

Battle  Creek 

Michigan 

Among  the  definite  aims  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
of  Battle  Creek  (29,480)  for  the  year  1 917,  is  the  organiza- 
tion of  forces  for  city  planning  work.  The  Chamber  has 
a  Civic  Committee  of  which  A.  L.  Miller  is  chairman,  and 
this  Committee,  in  addition  to  its  interest  in  city  planning 
for  Battle  Creek,  is  endeavoring  to  secure  needed  street 
improvements  and  betterment  in  street-car  service,  and 


to  provide  for  the  relief  of  street  congestion.  It  is  also 
planning  to  make  a  detailed  study  of  grade  crossings  and 
for  adequate  provisions  for  recreational  facilities  and 
parks.  E.  W.  Arnold,  architect,  and  Willis  H.  Post,  of 
the  Postum  Cereal  Company,  are  among  the  actively 
interested  persons. 

Bay   City 

Michigan 

The  Board  of  Commerce  of  Bay  City  (47,942)  is  the 
medium  through  which  the  citizens,  and  especially  the 
business  and  professional  men,  are  working  for  the 
upbuilding  of  the  city,  both  from  a  commercial  and  a 
civic  standpoint.  Comprehensive  city  planning  has  not 
yet  received  attention. 

The  city  has  an  area  of  over  11  square  miles  and  19J 
miles  of  street,  of  which  50  miles  are  paved.  There  are 
ten  parks  with  a  total  area  of  35  acres.  Wenonah  Park, 
on  the  riverfront,  is  one  of  the  city's  chief  assets.  The 
city  has  already  expended  $250,000  on  it.  Nevertheless, 
there  is  urgent  need  for  additional  reservations  for  recrea- 
tion and  parks.  In  1916  the  Park  Commission,  of  which 
W.  F.  Jennison  is  president,  had  an  allowance  of  115,000. 
James  M.  McCabe  is  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Commerce. 

Bayonne 

New  Jersey 

Following  the  initiatory  work  on  a  comprehensive 
plan  for  a  marine  terminal  and  industrial  city  on  the 
waterfront  of  New  York  Bay,  Bayonne  (69,893)  began 
to  realize  that  the  proposed  waterfront  development  was 
but  one,  although  an  important,  phase  of  city  planning, 
and  that,  if  the  city  itself  was  to  measure  up  to  the  oppor- 
tunities which  the  new  business  and  industry  created  at 
its  proposed  new  terminal  would  bring,  it  should  have  a 
city  planning  commission  to  plan  for  the  further  develop- 
ments of  the  central  and  suburban  districts  in  the  same 
way  as  the  waterfront  was  being  planned.  Such  a  com- 
mission was  officially  appointed  in  1916  with  Preston  H. 
Smith,  Chairman.  The  Commission  is  now  studying  the 
work  that  has  been  done  by  city  planning  commissions 
in  various  parts  ot  the  country,  and  the  near  future  will 
see  it  started  in  preparing  a  comprehensive  plan. 

A  Marine  Terminal. — It  is  no  secret  that  the  upper  New 
York  Bay  frontage,  a  large  part  of  which  Bayonne  possesses, 
has  long  been  regarded  by  many  whose  judgment  in  these 
matters  is  unquestioned,  as  possessing  possibilities  for  coor- 
dinating docking  and  railroad  facilities  into  a  great  indus- 
trial development  second  to  none  at  the  port  of  New  York. 
The  New  Jersey  Harbor  Commission  has  made  tentative 
plans  for  the  development  of  the  waterfront  and  published 
them  in  two  of  its  reports.  Previous  to  this,  studies  had 
been  made  by  capitalists  from  other  cities  in  America, 
and  even  in  Europe,  but  the  most  recent  and  comprehen- 
sive plans  were  promoted  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
which  furthered  legislation  and  initiated  proceedings 
looking  to  active  steps  in  development.  As  a  result,  the 
New  Jersey  State  Board  of  Commerce  and  Navigation 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRF.SS 


15 


Courtesy  Tbe  Amtricun  City 

Bayoxne. — Proposed  Marine  Terminal  and  Industrial  City  on  the  Upper  New  York  Bay  Frontage. 
An  example  of  modern  industrial  and  transportational  coordination,  a  primary  principle  of  scientific  city  planning. 


presented  to  the  Commissioners  of  Bayonne,  in  the  winter 
of  191 6,  a  detailed  report  prepared  under  the  immediate 
direction  of  N.  F.  Cresson,  Jr.,  Chief  Engineer  ot  the 
New  Jersey  State  Board,  and  F.  Van  Z.  Lane,  Engineer  ot 
the  Bayonne  Chamber  of  Commerce.  This  report  is 
comprehensive  and  contains  many  original  maps,  detailed 
drawings,  and  other  matter.  Recognizing  the  wisdom  and 
importance  of  planning  in  a  big  way  tor  the  development 
of  the  waterfront,  Bayonne's  existing  civic  assets  are  not, 
however,  commensurate  with  its  increasing  importance 
and  a  rapidly  growing  population.  It  is  now  at  work 
enlarging  and  reconstructing  its  parks,  and  it  has  had  a 
playground  survey  made  by  the  Playground  and  Recrea- 
tion Association  of  America.  But  one  of  the  greatest 
needs  today  is  a  comprehensive  city  plan. 

Beaumont 

Texas 

A  complete  and  elaborate  plan  for  Beaumont  (27,711) 
was  laid  down  in  1836,  providing  for  well-balanced  civic 
improvements  and  including,  among  other  things,  a 
factory  section  laid  out  apart  from  the  rest  of  the  city- 
With  the  coming  ot  the  Mexican  and  Civil  Wars  these 
far-seeing  plans  were  completely  upset.  Later,  that  is  in 
the  latter  sixties,  men  began  to  erect  sawmills,  to  cut  vast 
forests  of  yellow  pine  that  stretched  about  the  city.  These 
vast  mills  were  erected  where  it  was  most  convenient,  and 
the  rest  of  the  town  was  accommodated  to  them.  Street- 
lines  were  obliterated,  whole  blocks  were  preempted,  and 
public  lands  donated  for  ambitious  civic  projects  passed 
from  the  city  under  squatter's  title.  Then  came  the  dis- 
covery of  oil.  When  this  last  event  took  place,  the  big 
mills  had  begun  to  pass,  and  big  corporations  still  held 
claim  to  the  city's  land.  Eleven  railroads  had  come  to 
complicate  conditions  yet  further.    The  influx  of  people 


with  the  oil  boom  still  more  complicated  matters,  but  it 
lead  to  an  awakening  of  the  people.  A  city  administration 
was  elected  that  succeeded  in  rescuing  much  of  the  property 
withheld  from  the  city,  and  the  development  of  parks, 
squares,  and  the  riverfront  were  undertaken. 

Results. — Today,  in  gradual  steps,  streets  are  being 
opened  and  straightened  as  possession  ot  the  land  can  be 
obtained.  There  is  a  general  awakening  of  civic  pride, 
extending  even  to  the  care  of  private  property.  In  1916 
a  Civic  Bureau  of  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce  was  organ- 
ized, succeeding  a  former  committee.  This  Bureau  is 
working  on  all  of  the  general  problems  of  city  planning, 
including  a  plan  for  a  civic  center  on  a  block  of  land  14 
acres  in  extent  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  A  particularly 
noteworthy  achievement  are  the  plans  by  J.  Mc.  L.  Hard- 
ing, Consulting  Engineer,  of  New  York,  which  are  being 
carried  out,  for  a  waterfront  and  a  railway  tenninal, 
equipped  with  wharves,  quays,  warehouses,  and  freight- 
sheds,  all  municipally  owned. 

Berkeley 

California 

Ot  the  California  cities  none  has  evidenced  a  livelier 
interest  in,  nor  actually  accomplished  more  in  propor- 
tion to  size,  than  Berkeley  (57,653).  The  basis  of  a  city 
plan  has  been  laid  in  the  "Report  on  a  City  Plan  tor  the 
Municipalities  of  Oakland  and  Berkeley,"  by  Dr.  Werner 
Hegeman.  This  is  one  of  the  most  studious  city  planning 
reports  which  America  has  produced.  It  was  fathered 
jointly  by  the  authorities  of  the  two  cities  and  by  local 
civic  and  commercial  organizations,  including  the  Civic 
Art  Commission  of  Berkeley,  appointed  in  .August,  191 5, 
as  provided  in  the  citv  charter.  The  latter  body  has 
received  small  appropriations  ranging  from  J500  to 
$2,000   annuall)     for    the    work    of  citv    planning.     The 


1 6 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


1.- J  k..**.»  x*™*^ 


6  i'-f^ 


^-      ».  .J 


Bi:KkLi.i.v.  L'niversit)  ol  California  Gruup  Plan,  the  Outcome 
of  Two  International  Competitions. 
The  orderly  grouping  of  public  and  semi-public  structures  in 
which  consideration  is  given  to  civic,  architectural,  and  land- 
scape requirements  is  an  important  objective  of  modern  city 
planning. 

chief  accomplishments  of  the  Civic  Art  Commission, 
aside  from  its  cooperation  in  securing  Dr.  Hegeman's 
report,  has  been  the  preparation  ot  a  zoning  ordinance 
recently  adopted  by  the  city.  In  addition  to  this  district- 
ing work,  the  Commission  is  now  undertaking  a  report 
on  street  improvements  and  a  survey  of  schools  and  play- 
grounds. An  amendment  of  the  city  charter  now  pro- 
vides for  a  city  plan  commission  instead  of  the  Civic  Art 
Commission,  as  the  old  designation  was  misleading. 

Practical  Planning. — Other  recent  planning  work  in 
Berkeley  consists  of  the  preparation  of  a  model  housing 
code,   the   rerouting   and   rescheduling   of  transportation 


Berkeley. — University  ot  California,  Open  Air  Theatre,  a 
Necessary    Klement  of   the   Modern   City's   Recreational    Plant. 

lines,  the  preparation  of  a  plan  for  a  general  park  system, 
the  latter  in  a  tentative  stage.  Two  proposals  to  issue 
bonds  for  the  construction  ot  a  civic  center  have  been 
defeated  at  the  poles.  In  the  work  of  general  planning 
and  city  extension,  the  report  by  Dr.  Werner  Hegeman, 
referred  to  previously,  will  serve  as  a  guide  to  the  city 
authorities  in  the  future.  In  all  of  the  above  work  the 
City  Club,  of  which  Duncan  McDuffie  is  president,  has 
been  the  leading  influence. 

Beverly 

Massachusetts 

The  Planning  Board  of  Beverly  (21,645),  appointed 
under  the  Massachusetts  Acts  of  1913,  Chap.  494, 
engaged  Arthur  C.  Comev,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1916, 
to  prepare  a  preliminary  report  with  maps,  covering  the 
foundation  facts  upon  the  knowledge  and  proper  appli- 
cation of  which  the  rational  development  of  Beverly's 
city  plan  must  depend.  Mr.  Comey  has  submitted  a 
report,  which  has  not  been  published,  under  the  title  of 
"Beverly's  Civic  Surveys,"  dealing  with  the  use  of  prop- 
erty, the  distribution  of  population,  and  the  range  in 
assessed  land  values.  The  data  is  superimposed  on  a  topo- 
graphic map  prepared  locally  and  at  a  scale  of  800  feet  to 
an  inch.  Mr.  Comey  recommends  that  a  more  accurate 
topographic  map  be  prepared  for  future  use,  containing 
full  data  as  to  the  physical  status  of  the  city.  His  property 
map  shows  areas  devoted  to  industrial,  commercial,  and 
residential  uses.  This  map  will  be  of  service  in  many  ways 
— for  example,  in  a  study  of  thoroughfares  and  grade  lines, 
in  locating  schools  and  other  public  buildings  or  utilities 
by  stutiying  their  probable  relation  to  existing  public  prop- 
erties as  well  as  to  areas  they  should  serve. 

The  distribution-of-population  map  will  be  of  special 
value  in  comparison  with  other  maps  of  similar  character 
made  in  future  years.  The  drift  of  population  will  he 
graphically  indicated — the  most  potent  element  affecting 
the  planning  or  extension  of  all  public  utilities.  It  indi- 
cates at  a  glance  the  number  of  people  to  be  served  by 


CTTY   PT,ANNING   PROGRESS 


17 


jiiihlic  utilities  or  the  children  to  he  serveii  hv  pl;ivi;roiiiuls 
and  the  like. 

By  comparison  with  this  map,  the  rangc-of-assessed- 
laiui-valiie  map  shows  the  effect  ot  various  degrees 
ot  urban  congestion  on  land   values. 

-All  ot  these  maps  anil  surveys  indicate  important  tacts 
graphicallv.  The  tlirection  ot  the  growth  ot  the  citv,  the 
location  ot  cheap  land,  and  ot  sites  tor  possible  use  as  parks 
and  playgrounds,  and  opportunities  tor  more  equitable 
assessments  on  land  values,  viz.,  on  the  bases  ot  potential 
torces  indicated  by  the  surveys,  are  but  a  few  of  the  pos- 
sible uses  of  the  fundamental  data  which  Beverly  is 
assembling. 

Bingham  ton 

New  York. 

.-K  Citv  Planning  Commission  was  appointed  bv  the 
Mayor  ot  Binghaniton  (53,973)  in  December,  1914,  under 
the  provision  ot  the  New  York  state  law  tor  second  class 
cities  (Chap.  699,  Laws  of  1913).  The  Commission 
secured  an  appropriation  of  ?5,ooo  in  1915  and  the  same 
amount  in  1916.  It  has  published  no  reports.  Its  principal 
activity  has  centered  about  playgrounds  and  small  parks, 
some  ot  which  the  Commission  has  purchased,  improved, 
and  turned  over  to  the  Board  ot  Education.  The  Com- 
mission established  thirteen  playgrounds  in  schoolyards 
in  1915.  These  were  supervised  and  gave  excellent  results. 
They  are  now  being  put  in  charge  ot  the  Board  ot  Educa- 
tion. The  Commission  has  improved  three  small  parks 
and  is  now  working  on  a  plan  to  improve  the  city's  large 
parks  under  a  special  appropriation  trom  the  city.  The 
membership  ot  the  Commission  consists  of  Messrs.  .'\sh, 
Kellam,  Brownlow,  Rubin,  Weller,  Mrs.  ToplifF,  and  Miss 


McNamara.  Unofficially,  Mrs.  R.  T.  Spalding  and  Miss 
Mary  Leverett  have  been  active.  The  architects  have  not 
taken  any  part  in  the  work  up  to  this  time,  but  are  organ- 
izing, and  as  a  body  will  lend  support  to  citv  planning. 
Mr.  Weller,  city  engineer,  is  working  on  a  comprehensive 
l>lan. 

Rfcomnn-ntiii/iuiis  hy  tin  Expert. — In  Septendier,  Myii, 
Charles  Multord  Roliinson,  of  Rochester,  New  '^'ork,  sub- 
mitted to  the  Mercantile  IVess  Club,  of  which  B.  F.  Welden 
was  president,  a  report  on  city  planning  and  improvement. 
The  report  was  entitled  "Better  Binghamton."  Mr. 
Robinson  divided  his  study  into  three  parts:  First,  the 
elementary  needs  or  primary  requirements,  looking  merely 
to  the  present  condition  of  the  city;  second,  provisions  for 
future  extension;  thinl,  a  system  of  parks,  playgrounds 
and  pleasure  drives.  He  emphasizes  the  fact  that  Bing- 
hamton's  future  must  depend  on  the  success  of  her  indus- 
tries, and  that  a  city  plan  must  therefore,  primarily,  give 
consideration  to  those  things  that  will  tenti  to  attract  indus- 
trial activity,  but  that  a  healthy  and  efficient  citizen- 
ship is  as  important  an  element  of  industrial  efficiency  as 
the  purely  industrial  features,  and  Binghamton  must  be 
planned  with  this  in  mind. 

Birmingham 

.Alabama 

There  has  been  no  legislative  action  in  the  state  of 
.Alabama  placing  town  planning  on  an  official  basis,  and 
the  fact  that  there  is  only  one  city,  Birmingham  (181,762), 
with  over  100,000  inhabitants,  and  but  one  with  over 
50,000  population,  probably  accounts  for  the  fact  that 
town  planning  problems  have  not  been  considered  to  any 


Courtesy  The  Artltricutt  City 

BiRMi.NGHAM. — Plan  ot  Fairfielil,  a  -Satellite  City,  One  ot  the  Most  Successful  Town  Planning  F.iucrprises  Carried  Out  as  a  Part 
of  a  Great  Industrial  Scheme. 


i8 


CITY  PLANNING  PROGRESS 


Courtesy  Tbe  American  City 
Birmingham. — Civic  Center  of  Fairfield,  an  Industrial  Village,  the  Central  Feature  abuut  \Vhi( 


I  the  Scheme  of  the  Town  Revolves. 


large  extent  in  the  towns  and  cities  of  the  state.  The  first 
and  most  striking  instance  where  town  planning  has  been 
actually  applied  is  in  the  case  of  the  model  town  ot  Corey, 
now  called  Fairfield,  which  is  solely  the  result  of  private 
enterprise.  The  land  on  which  this  model  town  is  laid 
out  is  the  property  ot  the  local  branch  of  the  United  States 
Steel  Corporation,  and  the  building  and  supervision  of 
this  development  and  the  building  ot  the  houses  has  been 
under  the  direction  of  a  local  real  estate  company.  Much 
has  been  written  and  published  about  the  town  of  Fair- 
field, its  civic  center,  ample  house  plots,  and  comfortable 
homes  of  the  bungalow  type.  The  scheme  of  the  town 
revolves  about  the  central  park  area  where  are  located  a 
civic  center,  plaza  park,  and  business  buildings.  The 
residential  sections  have  been  divided  into  zones  in 
order  to  insure  a  reasonable  stability  in  the  value  of 
properties. 

Chy  Plan  in  Preparation. — Town  planning  under  pub- 
lic authority  had  received  little  attention  up  to  the  year 
1916.  In  1912  a  City  Park  Commission  was  appointed, 
but  without  sufficient  authority  or  financial  support,  and 
without  the  cooperation  of  the  City  Commission,  the 
members  of  the  Park  Commission  were  able  to  achieve 
very  little.  In  191 5,  therefore,  the  City  Park  Commission 
was  dissolved  and  the  work  taken  over  by  the  City  Com- 
missioners. Since  that  time  Warren  H.  Manning,  land- 
scape architect,  of  Boston,  has  been  selected  to  prepare  a 
town  plan,  and  this  work  is  now  proceeding  under  Mr. 
Manning's  direction. 

Results. — While  not  parts  of  Mr.  Manning's  city  plan, 
certain  improvements  bearing  on  the  city  plan  have 
recently  been  taken  up.  Grade-crossing  elimination  is 
now  being  carried  out,  the  first  of  a  number  of  modern 
reinforced  concrete  viaducts  has  just  been  completed,  and 
the  problem  of  finding  access  to  water  transportation 
facilities  is  now  being  broached.  Quite  a  little,  also,  has 
been  accomplished  in  the  unification  of  the  city's  recrea- 


tion   facilities,   in    the   development   of  parks   and   play- 
grounds, and  in  the  use  of  schools  for  community  work. 

Bloomington 

Illinois 

A  city  planning  campaign  was  launched  by  the  .'Asso- 
ciation of  Commerce,  of  Bloomington  (27,258),  in  Septem- 
ber, 1916.  A  Committee  on  City  Planning  was  appointed, 
with  F.  Mark  Evans,  a  member  ot  the  Association  and 
president  of  the  Civic  League,  as  chairman.  This  Com- 
mittee has  lost  no  time  in  giving  publicity  to  their  work  and 
has  carefully  investigated  the  work  ot  city  planning  in 
other  communities.  In  its  first  report  to  the  .•Association 
of  Commerce,  it  recommends  a  course  of  action  that  will 
immediately  bring  about  needed  improvements  in  the 
city  plan,  while  rounding  out  a  comprehensive  plan  that 
will  provide  for  the  city's  growth.  The  Committee  has 
been  corresponding  with  experts  and  has  obtained  figures 
on  the  cost  of  preparing  a  comprehensive  plan.  It  has 
submitted  proposals  to  the  City  Council  for  the  employ- 
ment ot  competent  citv  planners  and  tor  the  appropria- 
tion by  the  city,  from  the  tax  budget,  ot  funds  sufficient 
to  carry  on  all,  or  part,  of  the  work  planned.  It  further 
recommends  that  a  public  subscription  list  be  opened  to 
give  opportunity  to  citizens  of  Bloomington  to  participate 
in  the  work. 

Bloomington  is  essentially  a  residential  city.  It  has 
been  fortunate  in  securing  a  number  of  fine  civic  improve- 
ments which  were  not,  however,  traceable  to  any  fore- 
handed planning.  The  proposed  citv  plan  will  cover  the 
most  important  problems  confronting  the  city  at  this 
time,  namely,  better  methods  of  communication  and 
transportation,  elimination  of  grade  crossings,  improve- 
ment of  sanitary  services,  the  designation  of  well-con- 
sidered  sites  for   public   buildings,  the   preparation   of  a 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCJRESS 


19 


comprehensive  plan  of  parks,  playgrounds,  etc.  It  is  more 
than  probable  that  Bloomington  will  within  the  next  year 
engage  in  comprehensive  city  planning.  A.  I..  Fillsbury 
and  T.  Simmons,  architects,  are  actively  interested  in 
city  planning  work. 

Boston 

Massachusetts 

Twenty-five  years  ago,  Boston  (756,476)  and  its 
environs  suffered  from  three  clearly  recognized  handi- 
caps, two  of  which  then  endangered  the  health  ot  the 
thirtv-nine  cities  and  towns  of  the  district,  and  one  ot 
which  promised  to  endanger  it  at  a  later  period.  To 
relieve  the  situation  and  to  overcome  the  handicaps,  three 
great  public  works  were  undertaken.  The  city  and  its 
environs  provided  themselves  with  the  best  system  ot 
water-supply,  of  drainage,  and  ot  parks  in  the  world.  In 
any  great  city  in,  or  outside  ot,  .America,  one  may  inquire 
about  these  great  works  in  metropolitan  Boston  and  find 
a  ready  answer.  The  success  of  this  work  was  assured  by 
methodical  and  comprehensive  plannning.  Conditions 
were  mapped,  methods  of  relief  were  studied,  plans  and 
systems  were  prepared,  separate  municipalities  were 
united  to  secure  powers  and  funds,  executive  authorities 
were  created  and,  finally,  atter  years  ot  consideration 
and  publication,  these  greater  works  were  satistactorily 
completed.  Boston  has  learned,  too,  that  it  must  deal  with 
its  city  planning  problems  in  the  same  way  that  it  dealt 
with  great  plans  for  these  metropolitan  districts  previously 
mentioned.  But  it  has  not  been  so  fortunate  in  its  sub- 
sequent city  planning  work  as  it  was  in  its  plans  for  parks, 
water-supplv,  and  drainage.  However,  there  has  been  a 
steady  and  consistent  torward  movement  through  the 
mtervening  years,  and  the  whole  trend  is  now  toward 
more  scientific  city-building  in  all  its  branches. 


Boston. — Metropolitan  Park  System,  Showing  the  Complete 
.ind  Well-Distributed  System  ot  Parks  and  Parkways.  Open 
spaces  held  by  the  Metropolitan  Commission  are  in  black. 


Early  Plauning. — It  is  interesting  to  note  here  that, 
as  early  as  184,1,  comprehensive  city  planning  in  Boston 
had  received  painstaking  and  tarsighted  consideration. 
One  has  only  to  read  the  digest  of  the  report  of  Robert 
Fleming  Gourlay's  "Plans  for  Kniarging  and  Improving 
the  City  ot  Boston,"  in  Landscape  Architedure  tor  October, 
1915  (Vol.  \'I,  No.  I.),  to  realize  the  truth  ot  the  saying, 
"that  events  happening  around  us  every  day  are  but  a 
recurrence  of  similar  events,  which  are  now  matters  of  his- 
tory." Gourlay  brought  to  his  work  in  Boston,  in  184J,  an 
experience  gained  through  city  planning  work  in  London, 
Kdinburgh,  New  York,  Cleveland,  and  Kmgston,  Canada. 
Measured  in  the  light  of  actual  results,  Gourlay's  plan, 
unfortunately  for  Boston,  may  have  accomplished  little, 
but  in  the  remarkable  accuracy  ot  its  prediction  and  the 
toresight  manitested  in  his  recommendations,  has  given, 
by  later  events,  ample  justification  to  the  principles  of 
city  planning. 

Metropolitan  District  Planning. — Comprehensive  plan- 
ning in  Boston  did  not  get  much  beyond  the  propagandist 
stage  until  1892,  when  the  metropolitan  park  movement 
previously  referred  to  got  well  under  way.  At  that  time 
Boston  had  1,900  acres  of  parks  and  a  population  of 
470,000.  The  tact  that  every  large  tract  ot  natural 
scenery  and  every  large  piece  of  seashore  within  the 
metropolitan  area  was  liable,  sooner  or  later,  to  invasion 
and  despoilment  by  the  spreading  tide  ot  the  suburbs, 
roused  the  people  to  action.  It  was  realized  that  the  future 
millions  of  the  rapidly  growing  metropolis  would  desper- 
ately need  the  kind  of  refreshment  and  recreation  to  be 
found  in  spacious  sylvan  scenery  and  along  the  shores  of  a 
great  body  ot  water,  and  would  be  forever  cut  off  trom 
such  recreation  it  the  present  generation  did  not  act  to 
save  the  woodlands  and  river  banks  and  ocean  shores 
upon  a  scale  sufficient,  not  merely  tor  the  people  ot  today, 
but  tor  the  swarming  multitudes  ot  the  tuture.    .And  so 


Old  FVovidenceRailRx)ad  Property -Boston -1908 


im 


see 


Developmlntof  Providence  RR  Property-  19!r 

ArrwL*  *  ^it-Ti-Lrr -L"«6Jc»'t  *«X"iTWT- *<«.  Tm  Fa»h  ;«*.»«t   M>i- CMtTi  TliusT 


Boston. — Opening  L'p  a  Former  Railroad  Property  in  the  Heart 
ot  the  City,  IncKuling  Extension  of  Arlington  Street. 
Dotted  lines  show  work  to  be  done. 


20 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Boston  took  hold  of  this  problem,  and  during  the  ten 
years  following  1892,  the  area  of  public  parkland  in 
Greater  Boston  was  increased  to  more  than  13,000  acres, 
and  the  amount  of  ocean  shore  owned  by  the  public  tor 
purposes  of  recreation  increased  to  19  miles  in  length. 
This  work  was  done  by  the  Metropolitan  Park  Commission, 
established  in  1893,  following  the  report  ot  the  prelim- 
inary Investigating  Commission  ot  1892. 

Recent  P/aiis. — But  while  Boston  was  engaged  in  the 
great  work  ot  developing  a  comprehensive  system  ot 
water-supply,  drainage,  and  parks  tor  the  metropolitan 
district,  people  in  Boston,  particularly  the  architects, 
began  to  realize  that  Boston's  own  problems,  those  which 
had  to  do  with  the  intensively  developed  area  within  her 
corporate  limits,  were  not  such  as  could  be  left  to  the 
haphazard  development  of  the  future,  as  had  been  the 
custom  in  the  past,  and  in  1907  we  find  the  Boston  Society 
ot  Architects  engaged  in  studying  a  large  number  ot 
specific  problems  for  the  improvement  of  the  central 
sections.  They  published  a  report  in  that  year,  through 
their  Committee  on  Municipal  Improvements,  which 
emphasized  the  lack  of  adequate  cross-lines  of  communi- 
cation and  suggested  an  inner  and  an  outer  boulevard; 
the  development  ot  the  tenway  and  the  Charles  River 
bank;  the  extension  and  improvement  of  Arlington  and 
Commercial  Streets;  the  improvement  ot  Copley  Square; 
the  utilization  of  the  site  ot  the  old  station  ot  the  Boston 
and    Providence    Railroad     Company;     and     particularly 


the  improvement  of  the  port  of  Boston,  on  the  ground 
that  the  people  of  Boston  have  only  to  avail  themselves 
ot  the  advantage  offered  to  secure  for  the  city  commercial 
preponderance  in  America.  A  number  of  these  studies 
have  lead  to  actual  accomplishments,  or  paved  the  way  for 
developments   that   will   be  realized   in   the   near   future. 

Metropolitan  Improvements  Commission. — Increased 
interest  in  city  planning  problems  led  next  to  a  scientific 
investigation  ot  the  traffic,  transportation,  commercial 
and  industrial  development  ot  Boston,  and  then  to  the 
appointment  in  1907  by  legislative  act  of  the  Metropolitan 
Improvements  Commission.  This  Commission,  after  a 
study  ot  their  problem,  declared  that  the  question  of 
transportaion  was  the  most  urgent  one  to  be  studied,  and 
that  the  future  commercial  and  industrial  interests  of  the 
community  depended  in  a  great  measure  upon  its  proper 
solution,  and  that  such  transportation  efficiency  was 
largely,  it  not  altogether,  a  terminal  problem.  The 
scientific  character  ot  their  investigation  and  the  emphasis 
placed  on  the  economic  factors,  and  the  thoroughness  in 
which  all  ot  the  matters  under  their  consideration  were 
studied,  marked  a  new  era.  This  report,  a  volume  of  300 
pages,  was  published  in  1909. 

Joint  Board. — In  191 1  the  so-called  Joint  Board  of 
Metropolitan  Improvement,  composed  ot  members  of 
the  Board  ot  Railroad  Commissioners,  the  Harbor  and 
Land  Commissioners,  the  Boston  Transit  Commission, 
and    the    Metropolitan    Park    Commission    submitted    its 


CITY  PLAHNIMG    BO/iBD 

SHOWING  0CCUB4NCY 


Boston. — Occupancy  Map,  Showing  Present  Usage,  Part  ot  a  Survey  for  a  Comprehensive  Plan  tor  East  Boston. 
Storage  and  manutacturing,  dark;  residential  areas,  medium. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCiRKSS 


Boston. — A  Plan  to  Convert  an  Unsanitary  and  Congested  Block  by  Removing  a  Portion  of  the  Interior  and  Rebuilding  tht;  Remain- 
ing Areas  with  More  Ample  Light  and  Air  Space. 


report,  particularly  with  reference  to  the  various  matters 
which  seemed  to  it  to  call  tor  immediate  action,  i.  e., 
the  harbor  and  terminals,  highways,  the  tunnel  between 
the  north  and  south  station,  and  railway  electrification. 

Metropolilciu  Plan  Commission. — In  1912  we  have  the 
report  ot  the  Metropolitan  Plan  Commission  appointed 
by  the  Governor,  in  conformity  to  legislative  act,  to  inves- 
tigate the  matter  ot  a  metropolitan  plan  tor  coordinat- 
ing civic  development.  The  Commission  reported  that 
such  a  plan  was  feasible  and  recommended  the  establish- 
ment of  a  metropolitan  planning  board,  which  should  be 
authorized  to  collect  data  tor  a  metropolitan  plan  through 
a  systematic  consultation  with  all  local  authorities,  and 
that  it  should  work  out  and  publish  troni  time  to  time  a 
comprehensive  serial  plan  for  the  metropolitan  district. 
However,  Boston  diti  not  succeed  in  the  metropolitan 
planning  work,  although  public  sentiment  in  Boston  and 
in  the  surrounding  towns  is  strongly  in  favor  of  it,  and  it 
is  more  than  likely  that  the  near  future  will  see  the  begin- 
ning ot  this  important  phase  of  planning  work. 

Cily  Planning  Board. — In  1914  the  City  Planning 
Board  was  appointed  under  the  Massachusetts  .Acts  ot 
1 913  (Chap.  494),  with  Ralph  .'\dams  Cram,  architect,  as 
chairman  and  F.lisabeth  M.  Herlihy  as  secretary.  The 
Board  received  an  appropriation  ot  ii,,ooo  in  its  first  year, 
$i;,ooo  the  next  year,  and  ?7,500  tor  1916.  In  that  year, 
George  Gibbs,  architect,  was  engaged  to  assist  the  Board 
in  making  its  investigations  and  reports.  .As  Boston  is 
made  up  practically  of  separate  units,  that  is,  East  Boston, 
South  Boston,  Roxbury,  Charlestown,  Dorchester,  Hyde 
Park,  Brighton,  West  Roxbury,  and  Boston  proper,  each 
of  thpse  districts  is  being  studied  by  the  City  Planning 


Board  as  an  entity,  keeping  in  mind  at  all  times  its  rela- 
tion to  the  other  sections  in  matters  ot  transportation 
and  the  like.  On  this  basis  the  Board  has,  through  George 
Gibbs,  prepared  a  comprehensive  plan  tor  F.ast  Boston, 
published  in  1916,  and  is  now  at  work  on  a  similar  plan  tor 
the  North  Knd.  .\  brief  but  suggestive  report  on  the  larger 
aspects,  including  transportation  in  metropolitan  Boston, 
was  published  in  191 4,  and  two  annual  reports  to  the 
Mayor,  covering  the  work  ot  the  Board  in  general,  have 
been  made  in  1915  and  1916,  respectively.  On  the  market 
problem  in  Boston,  the  Board  has  submitted  the  most 
careful  and  authoritative  report  on  the  local  market 
system  that  has  yet  been  made. 

Recent  Traffic  Studies. — The  most  recent  plans  sub- 
mitted by  the  City  Planning  Board  are  first  tho.sc  for  the 
relief  of  congestion  in  the  vicinity  ot  .Morton  Street,  North 
End,  providing  tor  the  removal  of  buildings,  widening  of 
Morton  Street,  and  for  connections  between  the  two 
streets,  and  second  those  for  the  development  of  the  west- 
erly and  southerly  end  of  the  down-town  district,  pre- 
pared at  the  request  of  the  City  Council,  to  relieve  traffic 
conditions  and  to  afford  a  better  chance  for  the  further 
extension  of  the  business  limits  ot  the  city  into  the  Back 
Bay  and  South  End.  The  latter  report  is  accompanied 
with  a  careful  survey  of  existing  conditions,  gives  strong 
reasons  for  developing  an  adequate  connection  at  this 
point,  and  proposes  definite  steps  tor  realizing  a  much- 
needed  improvement. 

Zoning. — Boston  has  re.sorted  to  both  police  power  and 
the  power  of  eminent  domain  in  controlling  the  develop- 
ing of  private  property  through  districting.  In  1892  the 
legislature  imposed   stringent   limitations  on   the  heights 


22 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


ot  buildings  in  Boston,  under  the  Massachusetts  Acts  of 
1892  (Chap.  419,  Sec.  25),  and  in  furtherance  of  the  prin- 
ciple, the  legislature  passed  an  act  in  1904  (Chap,  jjj) 
providing  tor  the  appointment  of  a  Heights  ot  Buildings 
Commission  by  the  Mayor  of  the  city.  The  Commission 
had  power  to  hold  public  hearings  and  to  divide  the  city 
into  two  districts,  which  were  to  be  known  respectively  as 
District  A  and  District  B.  These  boundaries  were  to 
remain  unchanged  for  a  period  of  fifteen  vears.  In  its 
report  ot  December  3,  1904,  the  Commission  made  its 
recommendations  which,  with  a  tew  minor  exceptions, 
restrict  the  height  ot  buildings  above  the  grade  of  the 
street  to  125  feet  in  District  A  and  to  80  feet  in  District  B. 

In  1905  the  legislature  passed  an  amendatory  act 
slightly  modifying  the  Commission's  orders.  With  these 
regulations  in  force,  there  followed  a  number  of  impor- 
tant court  decisions  on  the  right  ot  the  city  to  regulate 
heights  of  buildings,  which  are  among  the  most  important 
legal  precedents  on  districting  and  zoning.  A  complete 
statement  on  this  matter  is  to  be  found  in  the  report  of 
the  Heights  of  Buildings  Commission  of  New  York  City, 
dated  December  23,  1913. 

A  Commission  on  Heights  of  Buildings  was  created  by 
Chapter  3;^;}  of  the  Special  Acts  of  the  year  191 5,  to 
determine  and  revise  the  boundaries  of  Districts  A  and  B, 
as  heretofore  designated  by  former  Commissions.  The 
deliberations  of  this  Commission  have  extended  over  nearly 
a  year.  Their  report,  dated  November  2,  1916,  contains 
a  plan  for  revising  the  two  areas  in  question,  and  the  new 
boundary  lines  have  been  carefully  worked  out. 


Boulder. — Entrance  to  Chautauqua  (CityJ  Park. 
Few  cities  of  the  size  have  accomplished  so  much.    Achieve- 
ments are  traceable  to  the  efforts  of  an  improvement  association. 

Boulder 

Colorado 

The  quite  imposing  list  of  achievements  of  Boulder 
(11,669)  in  city  planning  and  extension,  equaled  by  few 
cities  of  its  size  in  .America,  are  traceable  to  the  activities 
of  the  City  Improvement  .Association,  of  which  William 
J.  Baird  is  secretary.  The  Association  was  formed  in 
1903,  and  in   1909  engaged   Frederick  Law  Olmsted,  of 


Brookline,  Mass.,  to  report  on  Boulder's  city  planning 
problems.  Mr.  Olmsted,  after  a  limited  study  of  the  city 
and  its  needs  and  opportunities,  presented  a  report  full 
of  helpful  suggestions  bearing  upon  nearly  all  the  broad 
fundamental  questions  behind  municipal  development 
and  activity.  The  form  of  presentation  adopted  in  the 
report  makes  it  of  peculiar  value  to  many  other  small 
cities  struggling  with  the  issues  of  uncontrolled  and 
unscientific  development. 

Results. — Since  the  submission  of  the  report  and  plan, 
the  City  Improvement  .Association  has  conducted  a  city- 
wide  campaign  for  improvement  along  the  lines  advocated 
by  Mr.  Olmsted,  with  remarkable  success.  In  fact,  the 
work  of  the  .Association  is  completely  making  over  the 
city.  Park  lands  and  playgrounds  have  been  acquired, 
improved,  and  placed  under  supervision;  all  school- 
grounds  have  been  parked  and  equipped  with  playground 
apparatus;  land  tor  two  athletic  fields  has  been  pur- 
chased; courthouse  grounds,  the  University  campus  and 
the  Chautauqua  grounds  have  been  put  in  more  attrac- 
tive condition;  private  citizens  have  been  stimulated  to 
put  their  own  lands  in  order;  a  complete  storm  sewer 
system  has  been  installed;  alleys  and  streets  have  been 
paved;  sewage-disposal  work  has  been  started  and  plans 
for  sanitary  drainage  adopted.  The  latter  were  prepared 
by  Metcalf  &  Eddy,  Boston,  in  1912.  Bridges  have  been 
built,  river-channels  improved,  the  banks  ot  Boulder 
Creek  are  being  parked,  as  also  are  those  of  the  drainage 
canals,  and  measures  looking  to  the  preservation  ot  natural 
scenery,  such  as  mountain  peaks  and  waterfalls  in  the 
surrounding  districts,  have  been  forwarded  and  perfected. 
•As  the  result  of  gift  and  purchase  from  the  general  fund 
of  the  city,  3,600  acres  of  park  reservation  have  been 
added  to  the  city's  possessions — all  in  accordance  with  the 
plan  proposed  by  Mr.  Olmsted  in  1910.  Street-tree  and 
grass-border  planting  have  become  city-wide.  Street 
paving,  to  the  amount  of  J2oo,ooo,  has  been  carried 
through;  a  concrete  river  bridge  has  been  erected;  and 
nineteen  concrete  bridges  over  irrigation  canals  are  in  the 
course  of  construction.  Schoolhouses  are  used  as  social 
centers;  many  fountains  have  been  installed  in  parks  and 
schoolgrounds  and  lighting  and  trolley  wires  have  been 
placed  underground  in  the  central  districts  and  in  alleys, 
and   the  like. 

Bridgeport 

Connecticut 

Bridgeport  had  a  population  of  115,000  in  1914;  today 
it  has  a  population  of  over  175,000,  an  increase  ot  over 
60,000  in  two  years.  Perhaps  the  nearest  thing  to  a  pre- 
cedent for  this  remarkable  growth  was  the  case  of  Boulogne, 
France,  in  the  Napoleonic  era.  The  phenomenal  growth  ot 
the  latter  town,  as  in  the  case  ot  Bridgeport,  more  than  a 
century  later,  was  due  to  the  manufacturing  of  arms  and 
ammunition,  but  the  significant  point  of  difference  between 
Boulogne  and  Bridgeport  is  that  the  Connecticut  city 
intends  to  hold  her  gain  by  comprehensive  city  planning 
and  is  enlarging  herself  tremenduously  by  building  and 
developing  on  a  permanent  basis. 

One  Million  Dollars  for  Improved  Dwellings. — The 
Bridgeport  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  recently  organized 


CITY   PLANNING   PR0(;RKSS 


23 


Bridgei'ort. — Birii's-Eye  View  of  Proposeii  Civic  Group,  IikUuIiiil;  .1  Siti_'  tor  the  City  Hall,  Post  Office,  I'irc  Hcaiiini.irtcrs, 
Library,  and  Other  Buildings. 

The  Library  is  the  central  feature  in  this  view.  Two  of  the  intersecting  streets  are  important  downtown  thoroughtares,  which  it  is 
proposed  to  widen. 


by  all  the  business  meti  ot  the  city — manuhicturers,  mer- 
chants, and  bankers — to  steer  the  city  in  the  way  it  should 
go  it  something  more  than  a  war  boom,  a  prosperity  flash- 
in-the-pan,  is  to  come  from  the  development  of  the  last 
two  years.  The  most  tangible,  perhaps,  the  most  socially 
vital  thing  that  this  Chamber  has  accomplished  so  far  is 
the  organization  of  the  Housing  Committee,  incorporated 


with  a  capital  ot  5i, 000,000,  to  see  that  there  is  as  much 
care  and  skill  and  thought  for  the  future  put  into  the 
building  ot  the  homes  as  into  the  construction  ot  the  many 
acres  of  industrial  plants.  In  addition,  the  city  has  just 
had  a  bond  issue  of  12,275,000,  something  unprecedented 
in  the  history  of  the  city,  and  every  cent  of  which  is  to 
be  expended  in  making  it  a  better  town. 


Bridgei'ort. — General  Plan  for  Proposed  Development. 
Existing  main  traffic  routes  are  shown  in  Wack  lines;  proposed  new  routes,  in  broken  lines;  dotted  areas  show  existing  and  pro- 
posed parks. 


24 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


A  Cumprehensive  Plan — igi6. — But  it  is  Bridgeport's 
peculiar  good  fortune  that  she  has  at  this  time  a  city 
phmning  conimission,  created  in  August,  igij,  just  a  year 
before  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  to  undertake  a  study  of 
the  problems  of  housing,  health,  recreation,  street  traffic, 
civic  and  neighborhood  centers,  in  a  comprehensive  way. 
The  funds  for  this  study  were  contributed  jointly  by  the 
city  and  members  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  a  total 
of  about  $ii,ooo.  John  Nolen,  ot  Cambridge,  Mass.,  was 
engaged  to  prepare  the  plans.  In  1914  a  preliminary 
report  containing  the  results  of  a  survey  ot  existing  con- 
ditions was  submitted.  In  October,  191 5,  a  special  report 
on  East  Bridgeport,  as  a  suggestion  for  the  guidance  of 
the  city  in  the  laying  out  of  an  actual  tract  of  about  300 
acres,  was  published,  and  in  January,  1916,  a  final  report 
called  "Better  Planning  for  Bridgeport"  was  issued.  This 
report  covers  the  main  streets  in  the  down-town  district, 
the  platting  of  outlying  land,  the  establishment  of  build- 
ing districts,  etc.,  and  the  development  ot  parks  and  play- 
grounds. The  report  with  its  recommendations  is  backed 
up  by  carefully  prepared  plans,  sketches,  diagrams,  and 
photographs.  There  is  also  an  important  supplement 
and  report  prepared  by  Frank  B.  Williams,  member  of 
the  New  York  bar,  dealing  directly  with  the  legal  methods 
of  carrying  out  the  city  plan  of  Bridgeport. 


MAP  Nai 

rUTUEE      CIVIC      CENTRE 


Ml    I    UJU    I         I 


Brockton. — Plan  of  Civic  Circuit,  in  Lieu  of  a  Civic  Center, 
Providing  for  the  Extension  of  Important  Streets  or  the  Cutting 
Through  of  New  Streets  to  Form  a  Quadrangular  Traffic  Circuit. 

Brockton 

Massachusetts 

Of  the  fifty-odd  city  planning  boards  organized  in  the 
state  of  Massachusetts  under  the  state  law  (Chap.  494 
of  the  Acts  of  1913),  that  in  Brockton  (67,449),  of  whicli 
Willard  F.  Jackson,  architect,  is  chairman,  has  results  to 


show  comparing  favorably  with  the  accomplishments  of 
the  most  active  of  the  other  boards,  particularly  in  con- 
sidering the  small  appropriation  which  the  Board  has  had 
— only  $700  in  two  years.  The  Board  has  published  a 
very  interesting  report  for  the  year  ending  November 
JO,  1915,  in  which  are  set  forth  the  specific  accomplish- 
ments and  certain  recommendations  for  detailed  improve- 
ments. The  report  also  contains  some  interesting  matter 
of  a  general  character.  Perhaps  the  most  striking  feature 
ot  the  report  is  the  plan  for  a  system  of  main  thorough- 
fares and  parks.  Another  very  interesting  proposal  is 
that  for  the  development  of  a  civic  circuit  in  lieu  of  a 
civic  center.  The  circuit  is  in  essence  similar  to  that 
proposed  in  Philadelphia  by  the  Comprehensive  Plans 
Commission,  which  is  there  called  a  traffic  circuit.  The 
civic  circuit  of  Brockton  is  planned  so  as  to  link  the 
various  civic  buildings,  which  have  now  no  connection 
between  them,  and  to  provide  frontage  for  future  build- 
ings ot  public  or  semi-public  importance.  This  scheme 
involves  the  cutting  through  ot  broad  streets  in  the  form 
of  a  square  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  The  Board  has  had 
the  advice  of  Arthur  C.  Comey,  landscape  architect  and 
city  planner,  of  Cambridge,  in  some  of  the  matters  which 
it  has  had  under  consideration. 

The  Problem. — Notwithstanding  its  excellent  natural 
advantages,  Brockton  is  today  quite  commonplace  and  in 
some  localities  distinctly  unsightly.  It  possesses  prac- 
tically no  parks,  an  insufficient  number  of  playgrounds, 
although  a  recreational  and  playground  survey  was  made 
by  the  Playgrounds  Association  of  America  in  1916;  no 
plazas,  no  wide  avenues,  no  segregated  fine  residence 
sections,  and  very  few  public  buildings  ot  distinction. 
Little  has  been  done  to  ameliorate  congested  traffic  or  trans- 
portation conditions.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  is  nov/ 
giving  its  full  support  to  the  proposals  of  the  Board, 
particularly  for  the  improvement  of  the  central  districts 
of  the  city. 

Brookline 

Massachusetts 

Brookline  (32,730)  has  a  planning  board  organized  in 
1914  in  pursuance  of  Chapter  494  of  the  Massachusetts 
.'^cts  of  1913.  The  Board  is  fortunate  in  having  among  its 
members  Frederick  Law  Olmsted,  Chairman  of  the 
National  City  Planning  Conference,  J.  Randolph  Coolidge, 
a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Town  Planning  ot  the 
American  Institute  of  Architects,  and  Walter  H.  Kilham, 
architect,  of  Boston.  Two  reports  have  been  issued  to 
date.  The  last  report,  dated  in  1915,  contains  a  most 
interesting  survey  of  the  matters  pertaining  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  building  lines,  with  some  very  telling  illus- 
trations on  the  need  of  official  action  on  this  point.  Cities 
might  well  read  this  report  for  its  valuable  presentation 
of  this  important  aspect  of  modern  city  planning.  The 
crying  need  is  for  a  more  effective  legal  mechanism  tor 
determining  betterments  and  damages  in  condemnation 
of  setbacks,  and  an  effort  is  being  made  toward  securing 
legislation  that  will  enable  the  town  to  deal  effectively, 
equitably,  and  economically  with  this  aspect  ot  the  build- 
ing-line problem. 


CI  1'^     PI.ANNIN(;    PK()(;KF.SS 


Brookline. — Once  a  Model  Suburb  of  Boston,  now  Con- 
fronted with  Serious  Problems  of  Uncontrolled  Growth;  a  Store 
Projecting  beyond  the  Accepted  (Though  not  Legal)  Build- 
ing Line. 

The  Board  has  considered  the  improvement  of  the  vil- 
lage square  and  has  requested  suggestions  for  the  improve- 
ment ot  the  easterly  entrance  to  the  town.  A  start  has 
been  made  in  investigations  "with  respect  to  conditions 
which  may  be  injurious  to  the  public  health  or  otherwise 
injurious  in  and  about  rented  dwellings."  It  has  given 
considerable  study  from  time  to  time  to  the  question  ot 
metropolitan  thoroughfares  as  they  affect  the  town  ot 
Brookline,  and  is  cooperating  with  several  committees  ot 
the  metropolitan  district.  Study  has  also  been  given  to 
several  street  extensions  and  connections  with  the  idea  ot 
improving  the  system  ot  primary  and  secondary  thorough- 
fares within  the  town. 


Buffalo 

New  York 

A  recent  report  of  the  Civic  Improvement  Committee 
of  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce  of  Buffalo  (468,558)  urges 
the  employment  ot  experts  who,  in  cooperation  with  those 
best  informed  on  the  city's  needs,  will  make  a  survey  ot  the 
city  and  devise  a  comprehensive  plan  for  its  physical  de- 
velopment. Quoting  from  this  report — "Such  a  plan  should 
embrace  the  placing  of  public  buildings,  the  furnishing  ot 
adequate  railroad,  harbor,  and  street  railway  facilities,  the 
establishment  of  parks,  playgrounds  and  recreation  places, 


Brookhne. — .'\s  the  City  Fathers  Planned  the  Town;  a  Restricted 
District  which  Gave  Brookline  Its  Fame. 

the  creating  ot  residence  and  industrial  zones,  and  the  en- 
suring ot  proper  housmg  conditions  tor  all  ot  our  people." 
.Allen  L.  Hollaway  is  chairman,  and  Geo.  Cary,  Edward  B. 
Greene  and  James  Walker,  architects,  ot  Buffalo,  are 
among  the  members  ot  the  Committee. 


Bkooklixe. — .An  .Apartment  House  I'roiectcd  into  the  .Acccpteil 
Set-back  -Area. 
The  Planning  Board  is  working  for  the  control  of  such  unrea- 
sonable growth. 


26 


CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


IJiFFALO. — Cary  Plan  for  Union  Station  and  Docks,  Triangular  i'Li/a,  anJ  Cnic  Center;  \  lew  Looking  East. 
The  buildings  of  the  Civic  Center  are  shown  fronting  on  Delaware  Avenue,  south  of  Niagara  Square. 


Early  Planning — The  Railroads. — Buffalo  has  been 
making  progress  in  the  last  five  years  and,  coupled  with 
this  progress,  has  had  exceptionally  substantial  prosperity. 
But  the  absence  of  a  definite  and  comprehensive  city  plan 
for  the  guidance  of  the  city  authorities  has  been  a  serious 
handicap.  The  lack  ot  a  definite  program  has  resulted  in 
an  improperly  located  post  office,  in  a  failure  to  have 
proper  railroad  terminals  and  dockage  facilities,  in  serious 
breaks  in  the  street  and  street  railway  system  in  the  out- 
skirts of  the  city,  and  a  failure  to  provide  sufficient  play- 
grounds and  recreation  places.  It  has  meant  that  the 
opportunity  for  long  and  beautiful  drives  along  the  lake 
and  riverfront  has  not  been  embraced,  that  adequate 
inducements  for  important  industries  to  come  to  Buffalo 
have  not  been  offered,  that  certain  residence  sections  have 
been  greatly  injured  by  the  unnecessary  encroachment  of 
factories  or  business  establishments,  and  that  a  large  part 
of  her  foreign  population  are  living  under  unsanitary  and 
overcrowded  conditions.  In  these  and  many  other  ways 
the  absence  of  a  city  plan  has  retarded  Buffalo's  growth. 
Buffalo  has,  however,  an  exceptionally  good  street  sys- 
tem, particularly  in  the  central  districts,  which  were  laid 
out  according  to  plans  by  Joseph  Ellicott,  in  1804.*  In 
fact,  there  are  few  cities  that  have  a  more  distinctly 
modern  and  up-to-date  arrangement  of  their  major 
thoroughfares  in  the  central  district  than  Buffalo.  But 
with  the  advent  of  the  railroad,  Buffalo  was  invaded  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  city  now  has  acquired  the  unusual 
position  of  being  the  possessor  of  the  greatest  number  of 

'Joseph  Ellicott  was  a  brother  of  Andrew  K.  Ellicott,  Surveyor- 
General  of  the  United  States,  and  was  employed  at  the  time  by  the 
owners  of  the  Holland  Land  Company,  as  surveyor  for  their  large  pur- 
chase in  western  New  York.  Later  he  became  the  Company's  local 
agent  at  New  Amsterdam,  which  was  the  early  name  for  Buffalo. 

Joseph  Ellicott  began  the  survey  of  the  entire  Holland  purchase  in 
western  New  York  in  1798.  He  realized  from  the  beginning  that  the 
site  upon  which  Buffalo  now  stands  would  be  very  important  on  account 
of  its  harbor,  and  he  therefore  made  his  headquarters  at  the  mouth  of 
Buffalo  Creek. 

The  present  plan  of  Buffalo  is  essentially  Ellicott's  original  plan. 
His  plan  embraced  the  area  from  the  waterfront  back  as  far  as  North 
Street.  All  the  streets  on  the  west  side  of  Main  Street  were  laid  out 
exactly  in  accordance  with  the  plan,  and  also  the  principal  streets  on 
the  east  side.    Many  of  them  still  retain  the  names  he  gave  them. 


railroads  and  greatest  mileage  of  tracks  within  its  limits 
of  any  city  in  the  Union,  except  Chicago.  Yet,  Buffalo 
was  known  hardly  a  decade  ago  as  having  the  most 
inadequate  and  meanest  railroad  stations  of  any  city  in 
the  world.  It  was  this  situation  that  prompted  George 
Cary,  member  of  the  .American  Institute  of  .'Architects, 
to  prepare,  in  1904,  a  comprehensive  plan  for  the  grouping 
of  public  buildings  and  gardens  with  adjoining  water- 
front, excursion  docks,  and  a  union  station  that  would 
adequately  meet  the  needs  from  a  city  planning  and 
architectural  standpoint  of  a  city  of  the  importance  of 
Buffalo.  His  plan  was  published  in  190J  and  nearly  put 
into  effect.  It  contained  complete  preliminary  plans  for  re- 
deeming the  waterfront  and  adequately  providing  for  the 
railroads  and  public  buildings  ot  Buffalo. 

Civic  Center  Projects. — More  recently  Messrs.  Green 
and  Wicks,  members  of  the  American  Institute  of  Archi- 
tects, made  plans  for  a  civic  center  around  Niagara 
Square.  The  plans  show  an  economic  adaptation  of  a 
property  which  the  original  planner  of  the  central  section 
of  Buffalo  designed  for  just  this  purpose.  Plans  for  a 
similar  project  have  been  presented  by  James  Walker, 
architect,  and  member  of  the  Institute.  Mr.  W'alker's 
plans  for  a  civic  center  around  Niagara  Square  were  pre- 
pared for  the  Civic  Improvement  Committee  ot  the  Real 
Estate  .Association,  of  which  John  W.  Gibbs  is  chairman. 
The  Chamber  of  Commerce  has  also  recommended  that 
the  city  acquire  the  eight  blocks  around  the  square,  with  an 
area  of  9  acres,  and  that  it  build  all  its  future  buildings 

Ellicott  selected  for  himself  his  favorite  lot,  which  embraced  the 
area  between  Eagle  and  Swan  Streets  on  the  east  side  of  Main  Street, 
and  ran  back  an  indefinite  distance.  Here  he  intended  to  build  a  man- 
sion in  which  to  spend  his  declining  years,  but  which  should  be  given 
to  the  town  for  a  museum  and  park  after  his  death.  He  therefore  planned 
the  city  with  the  view  of  giving  this  location  the  commanding  position. 
The  principal  streets  radiated  on  the  west  from  here. 

Ellicott  also  planned  Niagara  Square  upon  which  the  city  has  re- 
cently built  the  McKinley  Monument,  and  around  which  it  now  wishes 
to  build  all  its  public  buildings  to  make  a  civic  center. 

Ellicott  naturally  did  not  have  any  conception  of  the  future  growth 
of  the  city  and  therefore  planned  the  city  principally  on  the  west  side 
of  Main  Street.  However,  the  city  has  grown  strictly  in  accordance 
with  his  plan  so  far  as  it  went,  with  few  minor  changes. 


CITY   PLANNINCi    FRCXiRESS 


27 


there.  Buffalo  is  considering  building  a  new  courthouse, 
a  new  municipal  building,  and  a  new  fire  and  police  head- 
quarters. The  state  is  also  considering  the  erection  ot  a 
state  building.  These  buildings  would  pr()\idc  the  nucleus 
tor  a  civic  center. 

Terminals. — The  Chamber  ol  Commerce  has,  through 
its  Civic  Improvement  Committee,  also  given  studv  to  the 
industrial  problem.  The  logical  destinv  of  Buffalo  is  be- 
lieved to  be  a  great  manufacturing  center.  With  this  in 
view,  the  development  ot  the  waterfront  along  com|irehen- 
sive  lines  and  under  expert  guidance  is  a  fundamental  re- 
quirement. In  order  to  make  Buffalo  what  it  ought  to  be, 
terminal  facilities  by  lake,  by  canal  and  by  railroads  should 
be  improved  and  correlated,  and  made  adequate  for 
present  and  future  demands.  An  appropriate  development 
ot  the  Niagara  River  will  give  to  Buffalo  one  of  the  best 
inland  harbors  in  the  world. 

Parks  and  Parkways. — While  the  city  has  now  1,200 
acres  of  parks,  practically  all  of  these  were  acquired  and 
laid  out  forty-five  years  ago.  But  Buffalo  has  grown  to 
such  an  extent  since  that  time  that  twice  this  area  should 
now  be  provided  in  order  to  properly  care  for  the  recre- 
ational needs  ot  the  people.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce 
proposes  an  outer  park  system  that  will  connect  with  the 
boulevards  and  parks  ot  Niagara  Falls  and,  necessarilv, 
with  the  splendid  boulevard  svstem  now  being  developed  by 
the  Canadian  Government  on  the  riverfront  from  Niagara 
Falls  to  Fort  Erie.  The  advantage  of  unitecf  effort  in  this 
respect  is  realized,  and  since  Bufl^alo  and  Niagara  Falls 
have  lost  the  opportunity  of  securing  riverfrontage  on 
the  American  side,  it  is  very  much  to  the  advantage  ot 
both  sides  to  unite  their  park  systems  with  that  of  their 
Canadian  neighbor  in  the  development  of  what  might  be 
called  an  International  Park  System,  in  order  to  take 
advantage  of  the  beautiful  boulevard  paralleling  one  ot 
the  most  marvelous  rivers  in  the  world. 


I^urliiifrton 

\  eniionr 

Burlington  (21,617)  '^•'■'*  •'  particularly  noteworthy 
location,  bordering  on  Lake  Chaniplain.  Within  a  few 
rods  ot  the  Lake  the  land  rises  like  an  escarpment  to  a' 
height  sufficient  to  conmianil  a  view  of  the  Lake  and  a 
glimpse   ot    the    mountains    beyond.     Thence    there    is    a 


Buffalo. — Civic  Center  I'lan  ot  the  Re;il  ['.state  .Association, 
by  James  Walker;  View  I.ookiny  -South  along  Oelawarc  .Avenue 
and  toward  Railroad  Terminal  ami  Waterfront. 


-1, 


DJLJION  roi  CIWC  CC.MTtB.ANIITE6MI^ 

CSf.S'  AS?  VICtt      AlCniTLCTJ 


of  Messrs.  Cirecn  ami  W  icks;  View  Looking  South  on  .Axis  of  Delaware  .Avenue,  toward  Railroad 


Buffalo. — Civi 
Terminal. 

The  plan  calls  for  the  immediate  acquisition  of  all  the  triangular  areas  facing  Niagara  Sijuarc  ami  tormcd  by  the  streets 
from  that  square;  the  division  of  the  north  and  south  triangles  by  two  new  streets;  the  sale  of  the  tour  additional  blocks  (not 
the  square)  for  business  purposes;  and  the  erection  of  various  state  and  city  buildings  on  the  remaining  triangles,  beginning 
city  buildings  on  the  two  easterly  triangles. 


radiating 
facing  on 
with  two 


28 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


gradual  rise,  culminating  a  mile  or  more  from  the  lake- 
shore  and  more  than  joo  feet  above  the  waters  ot  Lake 
Champlain.  On  this  eminence  is  the  University  ot  Ver- 
mont; before  it,  the  wonderful  Champlain  Valley  and  the 
Adirondacks;  to  the  east,  the  peaks  of  the  Green  Moun- 
tains completing  the  rim  of  the  cup.  To  the  north  ot  the 
city  the  Winooski  River  winds  toward  the  Lake.  A  deep 
ravine,  zigzagging  across  the  heart  ot  the  city,  issues  at 
the  northern  end  in  the  Intervale.  This  is  a  low,  almost 
level,  stretch  of  open  country  between  the  hills. 

Housing. — Burlington  is  the  largest  city  in  Vermont 
and  has  some  characteristics  usually  associated  with 
cities  of  a  larger  growth.  It  is  far  more  self-dependent 
than  cities  of  the  same  size  located  near  first-  or  second- 
class  cities.  Lfp  to  the  present  time  the  chief  problem  con- 
tronting  those  who  have  been  interested  in  the  social  and 
civic  advance  of  the  city  is  the  housing  ot  the  people, 
which  is  assuming  increasing  importance  with  the  growth 
of  the  industries  of  the  town.  In  1914  a  Committee  on 
Social  Survey  was  privately  organized,  ot  which  Prot. 
G.  G.  Groat  is  chairman  and  Prof.  .\.  R.  GifFord,  secre- 
tary. This  Committee  raised  $1,500  and  had  two  reports 
prepared,  one  by  Francis  H.  McLean,  general  secretary 
of  the  American  Association  of  Societies  for  Organized 
Charity,  and  the  other  by  Miss  LIdetta  D.  Brown  ot  the 
staff  of  the  National  Housing  .'Association.  Miss  Brown's 
report,  which  is  bound  in  with  that  of  Mr.  McLean,  pub- 
lished under  the  title  ot  "Survey  ot  the  City  of  Burling- 
ton," contains  the  following  statement: 

"For  a  city  of  some  twenty-one  thousand  people, 
Burlington  has  a  housing  problem  of  unusual  significance. 
Unless  precautions  are  taken  to  regulate  the  future  growth 
ot  the  city,  the  situation  promises  to  become  serious.  As 
this  growth  promises  to  be  steadv  and  regular,  rather  than 


spasmodic,  the  situation  can  be  handled  so  as  to  control 
the  tendencies  toward  unwholesome  development." 

Olher  Planning. — Evidently  the  time  has  come  when 
Burlington  must  undertake  to  plan  for  its  development  on 
comprehensive  lines  and,  particularly,  to  take  measures 
to  district  or  zone  the  city.  There  are  about  three  parks 
today,  with  an  area  of  only  75  acres,  and  no  boulevards. 
Notwithstanding  its  fine  location  on  Lake  Champlain, 
no  waterfront  facilities  for  recreation  have  been  estab- 
lished, but  a  movement  in  this  direction  is  on  foot. 

Butler 

Pennsylvania 

The  Chamber  ot  Commerce  ot  Butler  (27,632)  has 
shown  some  interest  in  citv  planning  and  has  made  an 
attempt  to  do  educational  work  along  this  line  by  inviting 
experts  to  make  addresses  in  the  city.  William  A.  Duffy 
has  shown  the  liveliest  interest  in  the  work. 

Butler  has  no  public  parks,  only  one  small  public 
square,  and  there  is  only  one  playground,  and  that  one 
leased  by  the  Playground  Association.  The  paucity  ot 
civic  accomplishment  should  soon  be  realized  by  leaders 
in  the  communitv,  and  then  it  is  hoped  that  steps  will  be 
taken  to  prepare  a  comprehensive  plan. 

Cambridge 

Massachusetts 

The  Planning  Board  of  Cambridge  (112,981),  organized 
in  December,  1913,  under  Chapter  494  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Acts  of  1913,  has  devoted  itself  mainly  to  work  of  a 


Heavy 

I  ?,  served. 


Cambridge. — Area  Served  by  Playgrounds, 
ircles  are  drawn  with  >4-mile  radius,  light  circles  with  3s-mile  radius.    Figures  indicate  number  of  children,  ages  5  to 


CITY  PLANNING    PROCiRESS 


29 


fundamental  character,  looking  to  comprehensive  plan- 
ning as  soon  as  Kinds  are  provided  by  the  city.  Its  total 
appropriation  to  date  has  been  but  }l,ooo.  Prof.  James 
Sturgis  Pray,  Chairman  of  the  School  of  Landscape  Archi- 
tecture of  Harvard  University,  who  was  appointe^l  In 
President  Lowell  to  assist  the  Planning  Hoard  in  its  work, 
has  made  certain  valuable  reconiniemlations  to  the  Board 
as  to  methods  ot  procedure,  which  are  containeii  in  the 
report  of  the  Planning  Boartl  for  1915.  He  particularly 
emphasizes  the  need  of  a  full  and  careful  survey  of  exist- 
ing conditions  in  the  first  place,  and,  secondly,  that  the 
Planning  Board  work  with  the  idea  constantly  in  view 
that  Cambridge  is  not  an  isolated  community,  but  merely 
a  small  integral  part  ot  the  metropolitan  district  of  Bost<in, 
and  that  such  planning  as  is  done  can  only  be  intelligent, 
efficient,  and  economical  as  a  part  ot  a  comprehensive 
metropolitan  plan.  The  Board  has  had  the  advice  aiul 
assistance  ot  .Arthur  C.  Comey,  landscape  architect,  of 
Cambridge,  in  carrying  out  its  program. 

Survey. — Among  the  things  which  the  Board  has  com- 
pleted is  the  preparation  of  a  map  showing  the  range  of 
land  values  as  assessed  in  1914,  which  is  reproduced  in 
color  in  the  191 5  report,  and  a  second  map  made  under 
the  direction  ot  the  Board,  showing  the  development  of 
all  property  in  the  city.  The  study  of  these  maps  has 
revealed  many  interesting  relations,  particularly  in 
regard  to  the  effect  ot  city  planning  on  land  values  and 
of  the  need  of  adequate  districting  measures. 

Parks  and  Squares. — Cambridge  is  well  supplied  with 
parks,  part  ot  an  excellent  system  which  is  now  practically 
complete  and  which  includes  parks  under  local  authority 
and  those  under  the  jurisdiction  ot  the  Metropolitan 
Park  Commission.  Plans  tor  the  improvement  of  one  of 
the  open  spaces  in  the  city.  Harvard  Square,  were  made  by 
Professor  Duquesne  in  191  J,  with  a  view  to  its  architec- 
tural development  and  its  better  arrangement  tor  traffic 
currents.  These  plans  were  published  in  a  pamphlet  in 
1 913  entitled,  "Future  Development  of  Harvard  Square 
and  Its  Neighborhood." 

Housing  and  Transit. — Cambridge's  housing  problems 
are  well  in  hand,  under  the  able  direction  ot  the  Cambridge 
Housing  Committee,  organized  in  1911,  of  which  Dr. 
James  Ford  is  chairman  and  Arthur  C.  Comey  is  secre- 
tary. The  Committee  has  published  a  number  ot  reports 
and  has  recently  embarked  on  a  project  tor  the  erection  ot 
dwelling  houses  for  workmen  with  small  incomes.  Cam- 
bridge is  intimately  connected  with  the  heart  of  Boston 
by  an  excellent  transit  system  which  was  planned  as  an 
integral  part  of  the  Metropolitan  Rapid  Transit  System. 

Camden 

New  Jersey 

Camden  (106,233)  has  a  City  Planning  Commission, 
authorized  by  Chapter  170  of  the  New  Jersey  state  laws 
of  1 913.  The  appointment  of  this  Commission  can  be 
directly  traced  to  the  influence  of  the  Camden  Board  ot 
Trade,  and,  particularly,  to  Ralph  D.  Childrey,  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  in   1914.    The  favorable  geographical 


location  o(  Camden  aiul  the  large  manutacturinii  plants 
there  portend  that  Camden  is  destined  to  rank  as  one  of 
the  country's  important  industrial  and  shipping  centers. 
Associated  with  such  increaseil  importance  and  possibili- 
ties will  be  increased  municipal  respojisibility  and  such 
\  ital  concurrent  problems  as  improveii  transit,  shipping 
and  transportation  tacilities,  the  location  of  manufacturing 
areas,  business  and  commercial  sections,  ami  the  protec- 
tion of  residential  districts,  as  well  as  the  development  of  a 
park  system  and  the  grouping  of  buildings. 

Survey. — The  commission  of  which  John  .A.  Mather, 
Jr.,  is  president  and  Lewis  T.  Derousse  is  secretary, 
received  an  appropriation  of  ;? 5, 000  from  the  city  in  19U 
when  the  Commission  was  organized,  and  employed  Dr. 
Joseph  Caccavajo,  Consulting  Kngineer,  of  New  '\'ork,  to 
)irepare  a  compiehensive  plan  for  the  future  growth  of 
the  city.  Maps,  books,  pamphlets,  and  other  data  relating 
to  Camden  are  being  collected,  and  the  Commission  is 
gradually  accumulating  a  municipal  reference  library. 
In  order  to  arrive  at  a  basis  for  comprehensive  and  etfectivc 
study,  a  complete  civic  survey  is  being  made.  The  basis 
tor  this  survey,  published  in  the  first  report  of  the  Com- 
mission, is  reprinted  from  the  proceedings  of  the  National 
Conterence  on  City  Planning. 

Study. — While  the  work  of  collating  the  facts  ami  liata 
necessary  to  comprehensive  planning  is  being  conducted, 
there  are  many  practical  improvements  to  which  the  Com- 
mission is  giving  careful  consideration.  .Although  the 
work  ot  the  first  year  was  largely  initiatory  and  founda- 
tion work,  the  fruit  trom  this  will  materialize  in  the 
subsequent  investigations  and  reports.  The  Conmiission 
is  studying  the  commercial  development  ot  the  water- 
front, street  widening  and  paving  problems,  the  removal 
ot  unsightly  wires  and  poles,  the  location  ot  public  build- 
ings, the  better  and  more  artistic  lighting  of  the  city,  and 
is  devoting  particular  attention  to  the  preparation  of  a 
new  map  ot  the  entire  city,  on  a  scale  of  300  feet  to  the 
inch,  upon  which  will  be  shown,  not  only  the  streets,  parks, 
playgrounds,  and  riverfront,  but  also  the  usage  of  all 
private  property,  the  character  ot  paving,  the  transpor- 
tation lines,  the  location  and  character  ot  the  municipal 
services,  etc. 

Canton 

Ohio 

Through  the  activity  ot  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce 
ami  the  Real  F.state  Association  ot  Canton  (60,852),  a 
City  Planning  Committee  was  appointed  by  the  Mayor 
in  the  tall  of  1916  (uniler  the  Ohio  state  law  of  I915). 
Although  the  Commission  has  requested  an  appropriation 
tor  its  work,  no  tunds  have  been  allowed  by  the  city  as 
yet.  The  Commission  is  considering  the  better  platting 
ot  subdivisions,  the  extension  and  improvement  of  parks, 
the  straightening  of  streets  laid  out  in  recent  years,  the 
elevation  of  railway  tracks  through  the  city,  the  widening 
and  repairing  of  business  streets,  and  the  like.  Only  a 
suggestion  for  a  comprehensive  city  plan  has  been  made, 
but  a  relief  map  ot  the  city  is  in  preparation. 


30 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Cedar  Rapids. — Civic  Center  on  May's  Island;  New  Bridges  and  General  Riverfront  Improvements. 
The  island  has  been  acquired  and  its  development  for  municipal  purposes  is  being  pushed;  four  of  the  bridges  have  been  com- 
pleted; river  walls  are  in  course  of  construction;  and  other  improvements  are  being  carried  out  or  have  been  completed;  all  at  a  cost  ot 
over  ?8oo,ooo. 


Cedar  Rapids 


lowa 

A  general  report  on  the  improvement  of  Cedar  Rapids 
(37,308)  was  made  in  1908  by  Charles  Mulford  Robinson, 
of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  to  the  Mayor  and  City  Council. 
Mr.  Robinson  recommended  certain  changes  in  the  street 
plan,  the  acquisition  of  specific  areas  for  parks  and  park 
connections,  and  certain  improvements  in  details  of  the 


city  plan.    His  suggestions  met  with  general  tavor,  and 
most  of  them  have  since  been  carried  out. 

Riverfront  Improvement  Commission. — In  191 1,  E.  H. 
Bennett,  ot  Chicago,  made  a  survey  and  plan  tor  the 
development  of  the  river  island  and  for  the  landscape  and 
architectutal  treatment  ot  the  riverfront  tor  the  River- 
front Improvement  Commission.  The  work  ot  improving 
the  riverfront  was  first  suggested  by  a  communication, 
dated  March  29,  1901,  from  T.  H.  Simmons  to  the  Board 
of  Directors  of  the  Commercial  Club,  and  unanimously 


]^ 


=:;J    ,    / 


)   ■  L 


Cedar  Rapid.s. — Riverfront  Improvement  Commission's  Plan,  Showing  Projects  Completed  or  in  Course  of  Completion. 


CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


31 


Cedar  Rapids. — Sketch  of  the  Riverfront,  Showing  River  Wall  ami  Bridge. 
A  section  of  the  wall  is  now  complete  and  four  bridges  have  been  erected. 


approved  by  them  in  April,  1901.  Publicity  was  given  to 
the  suggestions  bv  the  issuance  ot  a  supplement  to  the 
daily  newspapers,  together  with  a  view  ot  the  unsightly 
island  and  shores  and  proposed  plans  tor  the  suggested 
improvement.  The  Riverfront  Improvement  Law  was 
drawn  and  approved  March  14,  1902.  The  tirst  commis- 
sion was  appointed  by  the  Governor  in  May,  1902,  with 
T.  H.  Simmons,  chairman.  After  a  long  legal  battle  and 
much  energetic  work,  particularly  on  the  solution  of 
channel  problems  in  which  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment was  interested,  the  Commission  engaged  Mr.  Ben- 
nett. The  latter's  studies  included  the  whole  citv  as 
an  incident  to  the  solution  of  the  island  and  riverfront 
problems.  It  was  assumed  that  Mr.  Bennett's  plans  would 
be  sufficiently  near  to  the  practicable  to  furnish  an  ideal 
toward  which  the  Commission  could  effectively  work. 

Accomplishments. — In  the  fourteen  years  of  its  exist- 
ence, the  Riverfront  Improvement  Commission  has 
made  quite  remarkable  progress.  Improvements  com- 
pleted as  proposed  in  the  general  plan  include  the  pur- 
chase of  the  island;  the  construction  of  an  island  wall 
(two  blocks  long  on  each  side);  the  building  of  four  con- 
crete bridges,  a  concrete  dam  and  mill-race  and  a  wall  and 
walk  on  the  west  river  wall  for  two  blocks,  all  involving  a 
total  expenditure  of  :p8oo,ooo.  In  1917  the  building  of  the 
east-side  river  wall,  walks,  and  driveways,  for  three  anti 
one-half  blocks,  was  consummated  at  a  cost  of  ?ioo,ooo. 
Since  the  passage  of  the  Riverfront  Law,  the  work  of  con- 
struction has  been  carried  on  by  the  City  Council  rather 
than  by  the  Commission. 

Future  Work. — Future  improvements  planned  include 
the  construction  of  a  plaza  on  the  island;  the  completion  of 
the  island  wall  and  extension  of  the  island  by  filling;  the 
development  of  banks  and  islands  and  the  building  of  a 
new  bridge  and  dam.  The  river  driveway  and  river  bank 
developments  outside  of  the  city  center  will  be  much  less 
costly.  Instead  of  sheer  concrete  walls,  a  sloping  bank  will 
be  used. 

Financing  the  Improvements. — The  financing  of  all  of 
the  above  improvements,  except  the  east  and  west  river 
walls,  has  been  by  appropriations  of  the  City  Council  and 
by  bond  issue.  The  cost  of  the  east  and  west  shore 
improvements  will  be  met  generally  by  the  abutting 
property  owners.  The  property  owners  pay  in  install- 
ments, secured  by  special  assessment  or  mortgage  liens 
on  the  abutting  property. 


Cedar  Rapids  owns  over  half  of  the  water  power  fof 
10  feet)  at  the  new  concrete  dam  which  was  built  as  a 
part  of  the  riverfront  improvement.  The  dam  was  built 
by  the  issue  of  bonds,  and  the  water-power  was  leased  to 
the  Iowa  Railway  and  Light  Company  which  owns  the 
other  half  ot  the  water-power.  The  rentals  will  pay  inter- 
est on  the  bonds  and  retire  them  in  about  twenty-five 
years,  at  which  time  the  city  may  acquire  the  Company's 
electric  power  plant  at  the  then  appraised  value  and  so 
own  the  water-power,  the  dam,  and  the  power-house. 

Charlotte 

North  Carolina 

Funds  for  the  employment  of  an  expert  city  planner  for 
the  city  of  Charlotte  (39,823)  are  being  raised  by  the 
City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
organized  in  191 5.  Interest  in  city  planning  has  been 
stimulated  by  the  work  done  at  Myers  Parks,  a  heavily 
restricted  private  real  estate  development  laid  out  a  few 
years  ago  on  plans  prepared  by  John  Nolen,  landscape 
architect.  George  Stephens,  president  of  the  Stephens 
Company,  developers  of  Myers  Park,  is  an  active  supporter 
of  city  planning  and  is  keenly  interested  in  the  movement 
looking  tor  the  preparation  of  a  comprehensive  plan  for 
Charlotte. 

Chattanooga 

Tennessee 

Chattanooga  (60,075)  has  great  natural  advantages. 
Its  noble  river,  its  bold  ridges,  its  unique  Lookout  Moun- 
tain, its  fertile  land,  are  its  real  resources.  In  historic 
associations  it  is  equaled  by  few  .American  cities,  and,  as  a 
result,  we  have  the  great  parks  and  their  approaches 
created  by  the  I-'ederal  Government.* 

In  his  report  of  191  1  to  the  Board  ot  Park  Commis- 
sioners, entitled  "General  Features  ot  a  Park  System  for 
Chattanooga,"  John  Nolen,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  f>oints 
out  that  one  of  the  greatest  needs  ot  the  city  is  a  modern 
city  park  system — a  comprehensive  plan  for  the  prompt 

*In  the  neighborhood  of  Chattanooga,  the  Federal  Government  has 
acquired  as  parks  or  park  approaches  6,875  acres  at  a  total  cost  of 
^314,900,  and  appropriates  for  their  maintenance  nearly  ;^ioo,ooo  a 
year. 


3^ 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


acquisition  and  orderly  development  of  parks  and  other 
pleasure  grounds.  The  city's  park  possessions  in  191 1 
were  sniaH.  They  included  60  acres  in  Jackson  Park,  given 
by  the  Federal  Government,  and  100  acres  acquired  by 
the  city.  It  had  no  playgrounds  at  that  time  and,  what 
was  more  surprising,  no  parkways  or  pleasure  drives  con- 
necting the  city  with  the  national  parks  in  the 
neighborhood. 

The  Park  Finn.':. — Mr.  Nolen  embodied  in  his  report 
a  plan  providing  tairly  adequately  for  every  feature  ot  a 
park  system  except  city  squares  and  large  outlying  scenic 
reservations.  The  former  it  is  too  late  to  obtain;  the  latter 
are  unusually  well  provided  for  in  the  parks  belonging 
to  the  National  Government.  In  particular  the  report 
recommends  that  more  attention  be  given  to  the  detailed 
planning  of  playgrounds  about  the  schools  in  outlying 
sections,  now  quite  liberal  in  extent.  .'\t  the  time  the 
report  was  made,  reservations  had  been  proposed  on  the 
Tennessee  River  and  on  two  small  local  streams.  Here  it 
was  recommended  that  playgrounds  be  set  aside  tor  dif- 
ferent neighborhoods  throughout  the  city.  One  ot  Chat- 
tanooga's famous  points.  Moccasin  Bend,  it  was  urged 
should  not  remain  in  private  hands,  but  several  hundred 
acres  or  more  should  be  acquired  at  the  present  time  and 
set  aside  for  future  development.  Unfortunately,  a  sati.s- 
factory  parkway  along  the  Tennessee  River,  in  front  ot  the 
built-up  section  of  the  city,  cannot  be  secured.  Mr.  Nolen 
recommended  a  narrow  drive  directly  on  the  river,  so 
planned  and  constructed  as  not  to  interfere  seriously  with 
the  industrial  and  business  interests  of  the  riverfront. 
This  was  one  of  the  most  practical  improvements  and  was 
urgently  recommended.  A  parkway  along  Chattanooga 
Creek,  1,000  feet  in  width  and  6  miles  in  length,  was 
recommended,  furnishing  a  location  for  drives  and  open 
spaces  which  it  would  be  hard  to  duplicate.  In  addition 
to  the  parkways  and  drives,  Mr.  Nolen  points  out  certain 
city  streets  that  should  be  developed  as  main  avenues  and 
others,  which  it  is  not  practical  to  widen,  to  be  regulated 
and  rendered  more  attractive.* 

Taking  the  actual  average  provision  for  parks  and 
public  grounds  for  American  cities  as  an  acre  for  every  200 
population,  the  actual  cost  of  parks  land  (expensive  and 
inexpensive  property  together)  $1,000  an  acre,  and  the 
average  cost  of  construction  $1,000  an  acre,  the  average 
outlay  for  maintenance  Sioo  or  |i2o  an  acre  per  annum, 
and  assuming  that  Chattanooga  will  soon  have  a  popula- 
tion of  100,000,  Mr.  Nolen  points  out  that  these  figures 
would  justify  a  city  park  system  of  at  least  500  acres, 
an  outlay  for  land  and  construction  of  at  least  $5,000,  and 
an  annual  expenditure  for  maintenance  of  $25,000,  rising 
gradually  as  the  system  develops  to  $50,000. 

Herman  Ferger,  member  of  the  City  Planning  Com- 
mittee of  the  American  Civic  .'Association,  is  interested  in 
the  further  development  of  Chattanooga's  city  plan. 


*The  lack  of  foresight  displayed  by  Chattanooga's  City  Council  in 
1849  is  illustrated  in  the  adoption  of  ordinances  reducing  the  width  ot 
streets.  Several  were  reduced  from  loo  feet  to  60  feet.  Market  Street 
was  reduced  to  100  feet.  Others  were  reduced  from  60  to  40  feet,  or 
from  66  to  44  feet.  The  ordinance  states  "that  the  ground  taken  fr^om 
the  street  should  be  added  to  the  lots  respectively  to  which  it  adjoins, 
and  shall  be  taken  and  held  as  constituting  a  part  of  said  lots  and  shall 
belong  to  the  owners  thereof." 


Chelsea 

Massachusetts 

The  Planning  Board  ot  Chelsea  (46,192)  organized 
in  January,  1914,  under  the  Massachusetts  .•Acts  ot  191,?, 
Chap.  494,  is  devoting  itself  to  the  collection  ot  data  on 
existing  conditions  in  the  city  from  which  to  make  a  com- 
prehensive plan.  Consideration  has  been  given  mainly 
to  housing  and  sanitary  conditions.  The  Board  has  pre- 
pared a  housing  code  and  building  ordinance,  but  no  ac- 
tion has  been  taken  as  yet.  VV.  L.  Bennett  is  secretary  of 
the  Board. 


Ch 


icago 


Illinois 

Six  of  the  major  fundamentals  of  the  magnificent  plan 
of  Chicago  (2,497,722)  are  about  to  culminate  in  actual 
achievement,  as  a  result  of  the  six  years'  work  ot  the  Chi- 
cago Plan  Commission.    The  plan  of  Chicago  was  created 


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Chicago. — Plan  ot  a  Complete  System  of  Street  Circulation 
and  System  of  Parks  and  Playgrounds,  Presenting  the  City  as  an 
Organism  in  Which  .'\11  of  the  Functions  are  Related  One  to 
.Another. 


CnV    PLANNING   PROGRKSS 


33 


Chicago. — View  Looking  South  over  the  l.agoon  on  the  Lakelront  Alony;  the  South  Shore. 
The  creation  ot   this  and  other  laketront  park  lands  valued  at  550,000,000,  will   be  made  possible   by  the  utilization  of  Chicago's 
annual  product  ot  approximately  three  million  cubic  yards  of  water  material. 


by  the  late  Daniel  Hudson  Burnham,  under  the  direction 
of  the  Commercial  Club  ot  Chicago,  an  organization  ot  one 
hundred  of  the  city's  leading  men  in  all  branches  ot  busi- 
ness. The  Commercial  Club  turnished  the  original  tund 
of  $85,000  for  technical  work  in  organizing  the  plan  and 
for  the  publication  of  its  report  entitled  "Plan  of  Chicago," 
to  be  found  in  all  public  and  municipal  libraries.  The 
Club  also  furnished  $10,000  per  annum  for  five  years  tor 
the  maintenance  of  a  large  staff  of  technical  experts. 

T/ie  Plan  Commission. — In  1909  the  Commercial  Club 
presented  the  plan  of  Chicago  to  the  city  as  a  gitt,  and,  by 
act  of  the  City  Council,  the  Chicago  Plan  Commission 
was  created  to  study  and  develop  the  plan.  The  Com- 
mission is  truly  representative  of  the  entire  city  and  all 
elements  in  it,  as  its  personnel  includes  328  citizens  and 
all  the  municipal  authorities  as  well  as  one  alderman  from 
each  of  Chicago's  thirty-five  wards.  The  work  ot  the 
Chicago  Plan  Commission  has  been  made  possible  by  the 
further  contribution  of  members  of  the  Commercial  Club 
of  the  sum  of  $140,000  and  the  appropriation  ot  $69,000 
from  the  city's  treasury. 

The  plan  of  Chicago,  in  briet,  proposes  the  tollowing 
public  improvements; 

{a)  The  widening,  extension,  and  opening  ot  198  miles 
of  streets  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  centralized  street 
system. 

{b)  An  exterior  highway  system  of  gooii  roatls  radiating 


trom  Chicago  and  encircling  the  city  in  three  great  circuits, 
now  in  existence  with  the  exception  ot  about  ;  per  cent. 

((■)  The  reclamation  of  1,280  acres  of  park  lands  along 
the  shore  ot  Lake  Michigan,  from  Grant  Park  in  the  center 
of  the  city  south  tor  5  miles;  the  extension  of  Lincoln 
Park  northward  along  the  laketront  for  an  equal  distance; 
and  the  connection  of  these  two  park  systems. 

(d)  The  creation  of  parks  and  playgrounds  in  all  sec- 
tions of  the  city  properly  identified  with  the  general  street 
and  boulevard  system. 

{(■)  The  creation  of  50,000  acres  ot  countrx'  playgrounds, 
or  torest  preserves,  outside  the  city  limits,  but  accessible 
trom  every  section  of  Chicago. 

(/)  The  complete  rehabilitation  ot  transportation  facili- 
ties, both  rail  and  water,  including  the  passenger  and 
treight  services  of  all  railroads  entering  the  city,  and  provi- 
sion for  a  laketront  harbor  with  9  miles  ot  docks,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  present  harbor  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago 
River. 

(.1:)  The  proper,  effective,  and  dignified  location  ot 
pidilic  builiiings. 

Collaterally,  it  is  identified  with  zoning  and  housing 
and  is  aimed  to  jiromote  the  social,  industrial,  and  com- 
mercial advantages  of  all  Chicago  through  the  relict  of 
congestion,  the  facilitation  of  traffic,  and  the  safeguarding 
of  the  public  health  by  the  provision  of  ample  means  tor 
healthful  recreation.    In  its  development  there  is  a  tenta- 


34 


CITY   PLANNING  PROGRESS 


lIGARSpl^y^ 


Chicago. — Michigan  Avenue,  the  Base  Line  of  the  City's  Traffic, 
Narrowing  at  Randolph  Street,  trom  i  jo  Feet  to  66  Feet. 


Chicago. — Michigan  .Avenue,  as  It  Will  .Appear  When  Com- 
pleted at  a  Cost  of  ^8,000,000,  Forming  One  Side  of  the  Inner 
Traffic  Circuit  or  Quadrangle. 


five  under.standing  with  the  municipal  authorities  that 
no  major  public  improvements  shall  be  initiated  by  the 
citv  without  their  being  referred  to  the  Chicago  Plan  Com- 
mission in  order  that  they  may  be  coordinated  with  the 
plan  ot  Chicago. 

.-Idopling  the  "Plan." — Yesterday  the  plan  of  Chicago 
was  called  a  "talk  plan  and  a  picture  plan"  by  "Doubting 
Thomases,"  obstructionists,  superficial  thinkers,  and  citi- 
zens of  little  vision.  Then  it  was  "Burnham's  Plan,"  the 
splendid  project  of  a  splendid  man.  Next  it  was  the 
"Commercial  Club  Plan,"  the  hope  and  ambition  of  a 
limited  body  of  the  city's  most  representative  men,  bring- 
ing to  its  development  the  energies  of  minds  which  had 
achieved  success  and  distinction  in  their  respective  lines. 

The  Plan  of  All  the  People  of  Chicago. — Today,  through 
the  work  of  the  Chicago  Plan  Commission,  supported  by  a 
united  and  powerful  press,  approved  by  city  authorities, 
aided  by  the  Board  of  Education,  and  endorsed  by  all 
civic,  social,  and  commercial  organizations,  it  has  become 
the  heart-and-soul  plan  of  all  Chicago,  with  scores  of  mil- 
lions of  dollars'  worth  of  actual  city  improvements  being 
constructed  or  advanced  to  the  point  of  construction. 

Specific  Accomplishments. — The  specific  accomplish- 
ments to  date  cover  the  foUowmg  phases  of  the  general 
plan  of  Chicago: 

1.  The  foundation  of  the  street  circulatory  system, 
through  the  creation  of  a  traffic  quadrangle  encircling  the 
heart  ot  the  city,  for  the  relief  of  congestion,  the  facilita- 
tion ot  traffic,  and  the  expansion  of  the  business  district. 

2.  The  $4,500,000  improvement  of  Twelfth  Street  for 
2  miles  from  Michigan  .'\venue  on  the  east  to  Ashland 
Avenue  on  the  west.  For  approximately  half  this  dis- 
tance. Twelfth  Street  forms  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
traffic  quadrangle  encircling  the  business  district. 

3.  The  J8,ooo,ooo  improvement  of  Michigan  Avenue, 
the  eastern  boundary  of  the  quadrangle,  for  a  distance  of  a 
mile  north  from  Randolph  Street  to  Chicago  Avenue.  It  is 
expected  that  construction  work  upon  the  widening  ard 
extension  ot  Michigan  Avenue  will  commence  about  July 
I,  1917. 

4.  The  creation  of  parkland,  valued  at  $50,000,000, 
upon  the  lakefront,  through  the  utilization  ot  Chicago's 
annual  product  of  approximately  three  million  cubic  yards 
of  waste  material.  After  years  of  discussions  and  hearings, 
the  whole  matter  is  now  receiving  the  active  final  considera- 
tion of  City  Council  committees,  with  prospects  of  an 
early  settlement. 

5.  The  reconstruction  of  Chicago's  railway  terminals, 
both  passenger  and  freight.  The  development  of  the 
proposed  new  Illinois  Central  terminal. 

6.  The  widening  of  Canal  Street  from  80  to  100  feet  for 
i}i  miles  alongside  the  central  business  district.  Its 
development  includes  a  complete  rehabilitation  of  the 
passenger  and  freight  services  of  all  roads  using  the 
Union  Station. 

7.  The  establishment  of  a  system  of  more  than  50,000 
acres  ot  forest  preserves — country  playgrounds  for  city 
toilers — has  been  made  possible  by  a  state  enactment 
empowering  the  creation  within  counties  of  forest  preserve 
commissions.  The  Board  of  Forest  Preserve  District 
Commissioners  of  Cook  County  has  already  purchased  a 
considerable  amount  of  land  and  has  other  sites  selected 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCURESS 


I 


35 


lU 


Chicago. — Two-level  Bascule  Bridge  in  Line  with  Michigiin  Avenue  and  Across  the  Chicago  River. 


ready  tor  condemnation.  Likewise,  under  a  state  enact- 
ment, the  County  Board  is  extending  good  roads  to 
properly  connect  these  preserves  with  each  other  and  with 
Chicago.  The  roads  being  constructed  are  14-foot-wide 
concrete  roads.  The  forest  preserves,  for  the  most  part, 
are  outside  the  city  limits  but  are  convenient  and  accessi- 
ble from  any  part  ot  Chicago. 

Collateral  hnprovemetits. — Many  collateral  improve- 
ments, such  as  the  new  Municipal  Pier,  new  briiiges  across 
the  Chicago  River,  the  straightening  ot  the  river,  the 
investigation  ot  the  zoning  and  housing  questions,  and 
other  civic  betterments,  grew  out  of  and  are  in  line  with 


the  plan  of  Chicago  and  the  work  of  the  Chicago  Plan 
Commission. 

The  latest  recommendations  ot  the  Chicago  Plan  Com- 
mission have  embraced  ?8,ooo,ooo  worth  of  street  improve- 
ments upon  the  west  side  of  the  city.  Also,  studies  are 
being  made  for  the  widening  and  improvement  of  three 
leading  west-side  thoroughfares,  each  extending  more 
than  20  miles  between  the  northern  and  southern  city 
limits.  There  is  also  under  immediate  consideration  the 
two-level  improvement  ot  a  riverbank  street  to  extend 
along  the  south  line  ot  the  main  branch  of  the  river  from 
Michigan  .Avenue  to  Lake  Street,  a  distance  of  approxi- 


'ULi^iH.' 


,:.iJi^U 


Chicago. — New  Union  Station,  Post-Office  Site,  and  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Depot,  Facing  Widened  Canal  Street. 
The  reconstruction  of  Chicago's  railway  terminals,  both  passenger  and  freight,  is  one  ot  the  major  accomplishments  of  the  Chicago 
Plan  Commission. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


X  r^,. 


Chicacjo. — New  La.st   Iwclttli  Street,  with  New  Field  Museum  (on  the  left)  near  the   Lakefront,  and  New  Illinois   Central   Pa 
senger  Station  at  Indiana  Avenue,  Extended. 


mately  a  mile.  The  realization  of  this  plan  will  wipe  out 
the  famous  South  Water  Street  truit-  and  produce-market, 
throwing  that  property  into  the  area  of  the  street  and 
making  the  thoroughfare  approximately  1 40  feet  wide. 

Propaganda. — The  work  ot  the  Chicago  Plan  Commis- 
sion has  been  carried  on  with  the  public  through  an  exten- 
sive literary  propaganda,  which  has  included  a  pamphlet 
covering  the  whole  plan,  sent  broadcast  throughout  the 
city,  a  textbook  entitled  "Wacker's  Manual  ot  the  Plan 
of  Chicago,"  studied  in  the  schools  and  published  in  several 


editions,  and  many  other  brochures,  as  well  as  the  delivery 
of  nearly  400  stereopticon  lectures  and  the  exhibition  in 
local  theaters  ot  a  motion-picture  production. 

The  Chairman  ot  the  Commission  is  Charles  H.  Wacker. 
and  the  Managing  Director  is  Walter  D.  Moody.  Edward 
H.  Bennett  is  the  consultant  in  charge  of  the  technical 
work.  The  headquarters  of  the  Chicago  Plan  Commission 
are  in  the  Hotel  Sherman.  From  the  Commission's  head- 
quarters can  be  obtained  more  detailed  information  of 
Chicago's  city  planning  accomplishment. 


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Chicago. — Plan  of  the  Central  District,  as  Proposed  by  the  Chicago  Plan  Commission  and  Now  Being  Gradually  Realized. 


CITY  PLANNING   PROCJRESS 


37 


Chicopee 

Massachusetts 

The  Planning  Bnard  ot  Chicopee  (29,,^  i  <;)  is  endeavoring 
to  create  conditions  tavorahle  to  the  initiation  ot  work  on 
a  comprehensive  phin.  Pending  the  outcome  ot  its 
efforts  in  this  direction,  it  is  exerting  its  energies  in  a  study 
ot  housing  and  labor  conditions  in  the  city,  in  planning 
tor  new  streets,  new  parks,  and  the  widening  ot  the 
main  street. 

Housing. — Chicopee,  a  manufacturing  city,  finds  the 
housing  problem  a  serious  question.  Many  three-deckers, 
some  ot  flimsy  and  unsanitary  construction,  are  built  on 
narrow  streets.  The  Board  ot  Health  has  ordered  a  num- 
ber ot  these  buildings  vacated,  or  reconstructed  and  made 
sanitary. 

Reconimeniiatioiis. — The  City  Planning  Board  recom- 
mends that  a  municipal  labor  bureau  be  appointed;  that 
overhead  wires  be  placed  underground;  that  the  city  adopt 
measures  for  controlling  the  subdivision  of  land;  and  that 
a  systematic  study  of  street  lighting  and  street  tree  plant- 
ing be  undertaken. 


In  1915,  the  city  planning  committees  ot  various  civic 
organizations  in  the  city  banded  together  in  a  Joint  City 
Planning  Committee,  with  C.  R.  Hebble,  manager  of  the 
civic  ami  industrial  tiepartment  of  the  Chaml)er  ot  Com- 
merce, as  secretary.  Thi.s  Committee  has  acted  as  a 
clearing-house  ot  ideas  anil  as  the  leader  in  the  effort  to 
secure  official  support  for  city  planning.  Persistent  efl^orts 
on  the  part  ot  the  Committee  have  up  to  this  date  tailed 
to  move  the  City  Council  to  appoint  a  city  planning  com- 
mission as  provided  under  the  Ohio  permissive  city  plan- 
ning law  of  191 5.  The  Council  took  the  stand  that  such 
action  would  curtail  the  privileges  accorded  them  at  pres- 
ent uniier  the  municipal  code  of  Ohio.  Instead  of  providing 
for  an  official  commission,  the  Council  passed  a  resolution 
asking  the  Mayor  to  appoint  an  unofficial  commission  to 
act  in  an  advisory  cajiacitv  to  Council.  The  Mayor  fol- 
lowed this  suggestion  and  appointed  an  unofficial  commis- 
sion several  months  ago.  The  personnel  ot  the  Commission 
was  made  up  according  to  the  rule  laid  down  by  the  state 
law.  The  present  membership  of  the  non-official  Commis- 
sion consists  of  L.  .•\ult,  president  of  the  Board  of  Park 
Commissioners,  Prof.  I,.  S.  Moore,  W.  S.  S.  Oskamp,  K.  L. 
Heinsheimer,  and  Thomas  C.  Powell.   Others  backing  city 


Cinhssaii.  Pnipcised  Ccntr:il  l',irk«.i\,  Occupying  the  Route  uf  a  Canal  and  Scrvum  as  a  W'i.ii'  I'.issa'jr  intu  tlu  \\r\  llrart 
of  the  Business  Center. 

This  is  the  fundamental  development  upon  which  the  success  ot  the  plan  tor  the  city's  park  system  is  based  and  is  the  most  impor- 
tant single  teature  ot  the  entire  project. 


Cincinnati 
Ohio 

Of  the  leading  cities  in  .America,  in  point  of  size  and 
population,  Cincinnati  (410,476)  is  one  of  the  few  that  has 
been  tardy  in  giving  official  recognition  to  city  planning, 
though  the  evidence  of  potential  energy  back  of  a  move- 
ment in  this  direction  is  more  apparent  now  than  before. 


planning  in  an  unofficial  capacity  are:  A.  Lincoln  Fech- 
heiirier,  George  .Anderson,  A.  V.  Elzner,  F.  W.  Garber, 
all  architects,  .Alfred  Bettman,  attorney  at  law,  certain 
members  of  the  Women's  City  Club,  particularly  Mrs. 
Buckner  Wallingford,  and  members  ot  the  City  Club, 
notably  -Alfred  Knight. 

No  active  steps  have  been  taken  to  date  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  plan,  but  George  F..  Kessler,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
and  Thomas  .Adams,  Town  Planning  .Advisor  to  the  Com- 


38 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


mission  of  Conservation  of  Canada,  have  met  with  the 
Commission  and  given  their  views  on  procedure  in  initiat- 
ing planning  worii. 

Planning  fVork  Done. — Much  good  worii  has  been  done 
in  Cincinnati  in  the  preparation  and  execution  of  plans  for 
features  allied  to  comprehensive  planning.  In  1907  the 
Board  of  Park  Commissioners  employed  George  E.  Kess- 
ler,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  prepare  a  plan  for  a  comprehen- 
sive system  of  parks.  This  has  been  adopted  and  is  now 
the  official  guide  in  the  extension  of  the  park  system. 
Notable  progress  has  been  made  by  the  Park  Board  under 
this  plan.  There  are  now  2,500  acres  of  parks  and  2'-< 
miles  of  boulevards  which  are  constantly  being  increased. 
The  parks  are  paid  for  by  bond  issue  authorized  by  public 
vote,  and  $3,000,000  have  been  spent  for  this  purpose 
from  funds  raised  in  this  way.  Twenty-one  public  athletic 
fields,  seventeen  tennis-courts,  and  twenty-four  equipped 
playgrounds  with  wading-pools  and  shelter-houses  have 
been  established  by  the  Park  Commissioners.  More  play- 
grounds are  being  added,  some  schools  are  used  for  social 
centers,  and  there  is  general  police  supervision  of  dance- 
halls,  bowling-alleys,  and  the  like. 

Circulation. — Market  and  general  terminal  facilities 
have  not  been  progressively  studied,  but  the  abolition  of 
some  of  the  most  dangerous  grade  crossings,  by  means  of 
viaducts,  has  been  accomplished.  Terminal  unification 
is  now  being  discussed,  but  nothing  has  been  definitely 
settled.  Freight-yards  are  scattered  and  most  inadequate. 
h  partial  rerouting  of  street-car  lines  was  made  a  tew  years 
ago,  and  a  rapid  transit  system,  municipally  owned,  and 
an  interurban  entrance  for  the  same,  in  the  shape  of  a 
loop  connecting  nearly  all  surburban  points  with  the  down- 
town district,  is  now  under  consideration.  This  system 
will  bring  to  a  central  terminal  most  of  the  interurban  lines 
which  have  hitherto  terminated  near  the  outskirts  of  the 
city.  This  plan,  adopted  by  the  Rapid  Transit  Commis- 
sion, will  cost  between  ?6,ooo,ooo  and  $10,000,000,  and 
was  endorsed  by  public  vote  in  1915.  The  Rapid  Transit 
Commission  is  now  studying  the  form  of  franchise  and 
lease,  which  is  to  be  submitted  to  the  public  for  approval 
by  vote  on  April  17,  1917,  before  being  adopted.  The 
waterfront  facilities  have  been  left  in  a  primitive  stage  with 
no  plans  yet  issued  and  no  development  of  any  sort  car- 
ried out. 

Platting. — .'\11  subdivisions  are  made  without  any  public 
supervision.  Before  a  new  thoroughfare  can  become  a  city 
street,  however,  it  must  be  accepted  by  the  city,  although 
there  are  no  regulations  defining  acceptability,  except 
minimum  width. 

Housing. — The  Model  Homes  Company  of  Cincinnati, 
backed  by  J.  G.  Schmidlapp,  a  public-spirited  citizen,  has 
built  a  number  of  groups  of  sanitary  dwellings  for  work- 
ing people.  Probably  $400,000  has  been  expended  in  this 
way. 

No  community  centers  exist  in  the  city  proper,  although 
something  in  this  line  has  been  accomplished  around  the 
town  halls  of  suburban  areas  as  thev  have  been  annexed 
by  the  city. 

State  Planning  Law. — The  Ohio  state  law,  enacted  in 
1915,  provides  for  city  planning  commissions  in  municipali- 
ties, making  city  planning,  regulation  of  building-lines, 
heights  and  uses,  etc.,  permissive,  but  nothing  has  been 


done  and  no  advantage  taken  of  the  statute.  There  is  a 
state  law  containing  a  clause  on  excess  condemnation,  but 
the  city  has  never  taken  advantage  of  it.  The  financing 
ot  local  improvements  is  now  accomplished  by  bond  issues 
and  local  assessments. 

Cleveland 
Ohio 

Since  the  year  1796,  when  Moses  Cleaveland  laid  out 
the  Public  Square  and  the  central  section  of  the  city,  the 
physical  development  of  Cleveland  (674,073)  has  been 
more  or  less  haphazard,  the  effort  always  being  to  keep 
up  with  present  requirements  instead  of  planning  for  the 
future.  Cleveland  has  developed  in  a  surprisingly  suc- 
cessful manner  notwithstanding.  Compare  its  broad 
thoroughfares  with  the  narrow,  crooked  streets  of  Boston 
and  Pittsburgh  in  their  central  district,  or  compare  its 
physical  and  social  growth  in  general  with  the  growth  of 
other  great  American  cities,  and  the  total  of  Cleveland's 
accomplishments  appear  in  a  favorable  light.  However, 
the  time  has  come  when  the  people  of  Cleveland  have 
taken  the  stand  that  their  future  development  must  be 
carefully  planned. 

The  New  Commission. — The  City  Planning  Commis- 
sion, appointed  by  the  Mayor  in  1916,  consists  ot  eleven 
members — five  citizen  members  and  six  directors  of  city 
government  departments.  The  citizen  members  are  F.  F. 
Prentiss,  chairman,  Morris  A.  Black,  H.  M.  Farnsworth, 
William  G.  Mather,  and  O.  P.  Van  Sweringen.  The  official 
members  are  Messrs.  Beeman,  Bernstein,  Farrell,  Fitz- 
gerald, Neal,  and  Sprosty.  William  Ganson  Rose  is 
secretary.  The  City  Council,  in  its  budget  for  1917,  appro- 
priated ?2o,ooo  for  the  work  of  the  City  Planning  Com- 


Cleveland. — The  Group  Plan. 
The  plan  clears  out  a   rundown   district  in  the  heart  of  the 
city.   The  city  now  owns  most  of  the  land  and  has  completed  four 
of  the  buildings. 


CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


39 


mission  which  is  now  engaged  in  the  selection  ot  experts 
to  advise  them  in  the  preparation  ot  a  comprehensive 
city  plan. 

Creating  the  Cumniissio)!. — In  K^ii,  tollowing  the  enact- 
ment ot  a  state  hiw  permitting  home  rule  to  Ohio  cities, 
the  Clevehind  Chapter  ot  the  American  Institute  of  Archi- 
tects undertook  to  secure  a  provision  tor  a  City  Planning 
Commission  in  the  new  city  charter  which  was  then  being 
drafted.  The  Chapter,  by  grace  ot  the  Mayor,  Hon. 
Newton  B.  Baker,  now  Secretary  of  War,  was  permitted 
to  write  the  actual  law  governing  the  appointment  ot  the 
Commission.  As  prepared  by  the  Chapter,  the  law  pro- 
vided for  the  appointment  ot  a  commission  composed  ot 
citizen  members  onlv,  and  it  was  so  written  into  the 
charter  and  adopted  bv  the  electors  in  1913.  This  provis- 
ion was  not  acceptable  to  the  city  officials  as  a  whole,  and 
the  charter  was  amended  to  provide  tor  official  members 
only.  In  this  torm  the  charter  amendment  was  criticized 
and  eventually  redratted  to  provide  tor  a  commission  com- 
posed of  official  and  citizen  members.  In  that  torm  the 
charter  amendment  has  been  adopted  and  the  commission 
appointed  as  noted  above. 

Earlier  Civic  Center  Plan. — Nearly  a  score  of  years  ago 
the  city  of  Cleveland,  always  public-spirited  and  progres- 
sive, took  steps  toward  the  building  of  a  great  group  of 
civic  buildings.  At  that  time  the  city,  the  countv,  and  the 
United  States  Government  were  all  about  to  erect  public 
buildings,  and  the  Cleveland  Chapter  ot  the  American 
Institute  of  Architects  made  a  plea  tor  an  orderly  and  com- 
prehensive group  plan  tor  these  buildings  and  other  public 
buildings  to  be  erected  in  the  future.  Ordinarily,  a  city 
is  apt  to  realize  its  artistic  possibilities  only  when  it  is  too 
late  and  the  opportunity  has  been  lost,  but  Cleveland, 
with  unbounded  taith,  born  of  deep  conviction  in  its 
ultimate  development,  and  inspired  by  the  magnificent 
group   plan    of  the   World's    Fair   Buildings   in    Chicago, 


erected  in  189J,  was  anxious  to  meet  the  issue  adequately. 
The  Board  of  Supervision  for  Public  Buildings  and 
Grounils  in  the  city  of  Cleveland,  generally  known  as  the 
Group  Plan  Commission,  was  created  by  Governor  Nash 
on  June  20,  1902.  The  Governor  appointed  Daniel  H. 
Burnham,  John  M.  Carrere,  and  .Arnokl  W.  Brunner  to 
serve  as  members  ot  the  Board.  Their  report  was  presenteti 
to  Mayor  Johnson  and  the  Director  ot  Public  Surveys  on 
.August  17,  lyo,3,  and  was  tormally  accepted  by  them  tor 
the  city.  Work  was  started  and  substantial  progress  was 
made,  but  there  came  a  period  in  the  history  of  the  group 
plan  when  the  progress  of  the  work  was  interrupted  by 
what  seemed  unsurmountable  legal  obstacles.  But  after 
much  loss  of  time,  these  obstacles  were  removed. 

Recent  Civic  Center  Results. — In  191 1,  Frank  B.  Meade, 
architect,  of  Cleveland,  anil  PVederick  Law  Olmsted, 
landscape  architect,  of  Brookline,  Mass.,  were  appointed 
to  till  vacancies  on  the  Board.  On  the  whole,  the  civic 
pride  ot  Cleveland  has  manitested  itselt  splendidly  in  the 
work  on  the  group  plan.  The  press  has  encouraged  the 
labors  of  the  Commission,  and  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, always  efficient  in  such  matters,  has  freely  and 
continuously  lent  its  assistance  and  support  to  the  Com- 
mission. The  plan  clears  out  a  large,  rundown,  backwater 
district  in  the  center  of  the  city  and  replaces  it  by  a  great 
plaza  and  esplanade,  running  from  the  Post  Office  and 
Librarv  at  one  end,  to  the  new  Union  Station  on  the  Lake 
at  the  other.  The  city  already  owns  almost  all  ot  the  land 
and  has  built  tour  ot  the  most  important  buildings.  The 
group  plan  is  now  an  assured  part  of  Cleveland's  city  plan 
and  is  identified  with  its  history. 

Belt  Line  Railroad. — To  mention  all  of  the  advances 
that  have  been  made  in  Cleveland  in  details  ot  the  city 
plan  would  require  much  more  space  than  we  have  availa- 
ble, but,  to  refer  to  them  briefly,  mention  should  be  made  of 
the   belt    line   railwav    and    its   correlated  features.    This 


''  \.  K  ■■■     V-,   ..,-■>*      ■''  ",:t4  ; 


-^  Aw>-    .i£«-  ^t±:>^'-^- 


..?^ 


?^^ 


^^'    -V 


<r- 


^^|K^|^t-.«'H-^oV  -'"    t|,  f  ^  b  N      "Z  o^--k:}\^^~-.   bridge^    ; 


CHIUCtS' 


_;,ertln;uN 


D    OHIO  I 


Cleveland. —  the  Liiy.ihnga  \ \illey  and  a  Suggestion  tor  a  Higti-l.cvci  iJcniiik'-Dcck  Hruige  witti  MomiriR-ntal  Approaches. 
This  problem  is  of  peculiar  importance  to  the  city  of  Cleveland. 


40 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Cleveland. — Bridge   Pylons   und   Phiza   to  High-Level   Bridge. 

scheme,  which  has  been  in  operation  for  a  number  of 
years,  has  done  much  to  promote  Cleveland's  mdustrial 
advance.  It  involved  the  comprehensive  planning  ot  areas 
especially  adapted  to  manufacturing  and  industrial  usage, 
to  suit  the  needs  of  various  types  of  industry,  and  the 
linking  of  such  areas  together  by  a  general  belt  railroad, 
serving  all  of  the  trunk  line  railroads  in  the  Cleveland 
district. 

Bridges  and  Their  Approaehes. — The  design  of  bridges 
and  viaducts  tor  spannmg  the  wide  and  tortuous  valley 
of  the  navigable  Cuyahoga  River  and  its  small  tribu- 
tary streams  is  a  subject  which  has  claimed  the  attention 
ot  the  city  for  years.  Such  bridges  are  closely  related  to  the 
arterial  street  system  of  the  city's  plan.  Cleveland  has 
learned  from  experience  that  the  entire  problem  is  one 
which  must  be  studied  on  a  broad  basis,  particularly  in 
matters  connected  with  approaches.  Frederick  Law 
Olmsted  is  now  engaged  in  preparing  plans  tor  approaches 
to  a  new  high-level  bridge,  now  about  completed.  The 
miminent  construction  ot  another  bridge,  similar  in  char- 
acter, called  the  Huron-Lorain  bridge,  lends  value  and 
interest  to  the  studies  by  Messrs.  Walker  and  Weeks, 
architects,  of  Cleveland.  The  illustration  produced  here- 
with is  evidence  of  the  fact  that  the  need  of  proper  terminal 
features  has  not  been  overlooked.  This  study  is  one  of  a 
number  made  by  members  of  the  Cleveland  Chapter  of 
the  American  Institute  of  Architects  for  the  development 
and  improvement  of  Cleveland's  city  plan,  all  of  which 
were  exhibited  at  the  National  City  Planning  Conference 
in  Cleveland  last  June. 

Of  these  latter  studies  special  mention  should  be  made 
of  that  by  B.  S.  Hubbell,  member  of  the  Committee  on 
Town  Planning  of  the  American  Institute  of  Architects, 


and  a  member  ot  the  tirm  of  Hubbell  and  Benes,  of  Cleve- 
land, who  presented  a  valuable  suggestion  tor  a  University 
of  Cleveland  group  plan. 

Transit. — Cleveland's  long  struggle  with  the  transit 
problem  is  well  known  throughout  the  country.  Of 
peculiar  interest,  however,  is  the  remarkable  rapid  transit 
scheme  carried  out  by  private  interests  for  linking  up  what 
was,  a  few  years  ago,  a  virgin  tract  of  land,  called  Shaker 
Heights,  outlying  from  the  city  and,  at  that  time,  nearly 
an  hour  by  trolley  from  the  city  center.  The  rapid  transit 
line  developed  by  a  syndicate,  of  which  O.  P.  \'an  Swer- 
ingen  is  the  most  active  member,  brings  Shaker  Heights 
within  twenty  minutes  ot  the  city  center.  The  Shaker 
Heights  district  has  now  been  platted  on  modern  town 
planning  lines  and  is  rapidly  becoming  one  of  the  tine 
residential  sections  of  the  Middle  West.  But  transit  in 
Cleveland  has  been  developing  so  rapidly  that  the  capacity 
of  the  terminus  of  the  majority  of  the  radiating  trolley 
lines,  namely,  the  Public  Square,  is  being  overtaxed;  so 
now  Cleveland  is  about  to  begin  the  construction  of  a 
$12,000,000  subway  terminal  beneath  the  Public  Square 
that  will  care  tor  most  of  the  trolley  traffic  in  the  central 
district.  Street  traffic  congestion,  too,  is  becoming  more 
intense,  and,  recently,  E.  P.  Goodrich,  of  New  York,  has 
made  recommendations  for  its  relief. 

Markets. — Cleveland  has  already  spent  considerable 
sums  ot  money  in  developing  its  market  facilities. 
Recently,  a  subcommittee  ot  the  City  Plan  Commission, 
of  which  O.  P.  Van  Sweringen  is  chairman,  submitted  a 
plan  tor  a  great  municipal  central  market  costing  Ji2,ooo,- 
ooo,  with  railroad  connections.  The  plan  calls  for  the 
expenditure  of  $1,000,000  for  a  site  and  J  1,000,000  for  the 
market  building,  which  will  be  provided  with  storage 
plants,  1,600  stalls,  and  space  tor  handling  and  storage  of 
food  acquired  by  direct  purchase  by  the  city  in  the  event 
of  a  threatened  shortage. 

Housing. — Newton  D.  Baker,  as  Mayor  of  Cleveland, 
gave  serious  consideration  to  a  plan  tor  the  development 
ot  a  model  suburb  ot  500  houses  on  a  municipally  owned 
tract  of  93  acres.  Paul  Feiss,  chairman  of  the  Housing 
Committee  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  was  one  of  the 
chiet  supporters  ot  this  plan  which,  however,  never  actu- 
ally came  to  realization.  The  scheme  was  unique,  and,  it 
carried  through,  housing  in  America  would  have  made  a 
long  step  forward.  However,  the  Housing  Committee  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  a  similar  committee  of  the 
Real  Estate  Board  are  about  to  launch  a  $300,000  project 
for  the  purchase  ot  land  and  erection  thereon  ot  low- 
priced  houses. 

Recreation. — The  Cleveland  Foundation,  organized  a 
few  years  ago,  of  which  Frederick  H.  GofF  is  chairman  and 
Allen  T.  Burns,  formerly  secretary  of  the  Pittsburgh  Civic 
Commission,  is  director,  has  recently  instituted  a  compre- 
hensive survey  and  investigation  ot  Cleveland's  recrea- 
tional facilities,  and  Rowland  Haynes,  secretary  of  the 
Committee  on  Recreation  ot  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
Apportionment  of  New  York  City,  has  been  engaged  to 
direct  this  work. 

The  Beginnings  of  Comprehensive  Planning. — In  their 
studies  for  the  group  plan  for  public  buildings,  referred 
to  above,  the  commission  of  experts  were  not  unmindful 
of  the  rest  of  the  city.   They  had  visions  of  a  great  compre- 


CITY   PLANNING    PRCXIRKSS 


41 


hensivc  plan  tor  Clevchiiul,  hut  the  time  had  not  \  ct  come 
for  its  preparation.  They  recommended  in  their  report 
that  attention  be  given,  at  the  same  time  that  the  group 
plan  was  being  evolved,  to  outlying  parks  and  other  park 
sections  within  the  city  itself,  so  that  these  might  be 
devclopcil  with  as  much  harmony  as  possible  ami  that  a 
study  be  made  with  a  view  to  utilizing  the  most  impor- 
tant avenues  as  parkways  to  connect  these  parks. 

The  Inimciliati'  Prublem. — Cleveland  has  now,  very  for- 
tunately, reached  the  point  where  she  is  about  to  under- 
take the  work  ot  drafting  comprehensive  plans  for  the 
entire  city  area,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  expect  that  she 
will  exercise  the  same  discrimination,  attention  to  details, 
and  wise  foresight  in  this  work  that  she  ditl  in  the  study  and 
solution  of  her  group  plan  problems. 

Clinton 

Inwa 

.\  prehniuiarv  citv  plan  for  Clmton  i27,;H6)  is  being 
prepared  bv  Charles  P.  Chase,  consulting  engineer  for  the 
Clinton  Conmiercial  Club,  of  which  O.  P.  Roberts  is  secre- 
tary. .\  draft  of  this  plan  accompanies  the  annual  report 
of  the  Commercial  Club  tor  the  year  ending  January  Jl, 
1917.  A  feature  ot  the  work  is  an  industrial  survey  now 
being  made  which  will  give  the  necessary  data  on  which  to 
plan  for  the  commercial  and  industrial  expansion  ot 
the  city. 

Railroads. — In  line  with  the  work  of  the  Commercial 
Club  for  a  broad  and  well-considered  plan  for  Clinton, 
various  committees  of  the  Club  have  conferred  with  the 
representatives  of  the  several  railroad  companies  entering 
the  city,  in  an  effort  to  solve  the  transportation  problem 
in  a  big  way  and  one  that  will  serve  for  fifty  years  to  come. 
The  Commercial  Club  takes  the  stand  that  in  city  build- 
ing the  way  is  open  to  great  development  in  all  lines  once 
a  favorable  solution  of  the  transportation  problem  is 
attained.  The  Club  is  making  an  effort  to  secure  the 
building  of  joint  railroad  facilities  for  all  railroads  enter- 
ing the  city,  with  proper  surroundings  and  approaches. 
The  Northwestern  Railway  has  already  started  on  a  plan 
to  make  Clinton's  railroad  facilities  second  to  none  in  the 
state,  and  the  other  railroads  are  starting  to  improve  their 
facilities.  The  Northwestern  is  building  a  new  dual  sta- 
tion, new  freight  depots,  three  subway  grade  crossing 
eliminations,  and  is  undertaking  the  betterment  of  the 
whole  freight  railway  situation. 

Docks. — The  Rivers  and  Harbors  Committee  ot  the 
Commercial  Club  is  attempting  to  secure  adequate  dock- 
age facilities  for  big  modern  river  freight  barges,  the  con- 
struction of  wharves,  and  the  installation  of  handling 
machinery. 

Park  Board. — While  not  a  part  ot  the  Commercial 
Club  organization,  the  Park  Board  is  receiving  its  earnest 
support.  Through  the  activities  ot  this  Board,  a  new  river- 
front park  has  been  built  on  a  former  city  dumping- 
ground  and  developed  into  a  modern  recreational  facility. 
.\  plan  of  the  new  park,  drawn  by  Charles  P.  Chase,  is 
shown  in  the  annual  report  of  the  Commercial  Club.  For 
park  purposes,  18  acres  have  been  secured  directly  north 
of  the  present  park  in  the  township  ot  Lyons.    'I'he   next 


improvement  that  the  Park  Board  plans  to  make  will  be  a 
120-acrc    tract,  recently    donated,    north   of  the  present 

riverfront  park. 

C>()loracI()   Springs 
Colorado 

[n  May,  191  2,  Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  of  Rochester, 
N.  v.,  submitted  a  report  to  the  Department  of  Public 
Works  and  Property  (32,971)  on  a  general  plan  for  the 
improvement  of  Colorado  .Springs.  The  report  was  pub- 
lished in  an  illustrated  volume  attractively  printed  and 
bound. 

Recommendations. — In  presenting  his  report  he  groups 
his  recommendations  under  the  following  headint's: 
steam  railroads,  city  plan,  street  development,  recreative 
provisions,  and  miscellaneous  details  for  the  improvement 
of  the  plan.  He  recommended  a  union  station  in  which 
one  of  the  railroads  will  combine  its  facilities  with  another 
on  the  site  now  used  for  terminal  purposes. 

Colorado  Springs,  as  a  tourist  and  health  resort,  .sought 
for  its  scenery  and  climate,  might  be  expected  to  have 
three  distinct  foci,  or  types  of  foci:  one,  the  railroad 
station;  another,  the  hotels;  and  a  thirtl,  the  parks  or 
pleasure  grounds.  To  anyone  who  looks  at  the  street  plan 
of  Colorado  .Springs  it  is  clear  that  these  three  groups  of 
foci  have  not  been  adequately  emphasized.  The  original 
town-site  plat,  laid  out  by  Gen.  William  J.  Palmer  in  1871, 
included  wide  streets  on  the  conventional  checkerboard 
plan.  This  tiresome  system  is  relieved  by  two  diagonals, 
each,  however,  with  a  useful  length  of  only  two  blocks. 
The  only  railroad  station  which  has  a  situation  civically 
admissible  is  lacking  in  a  direct  street  approach  and 
appears  to  be  in  the  back  yard  of  a  hotel;  the  hotels  are 
located  beside  the  gridiron  streets;  and  the  parks,  with 
two  exceptions,  are  .so  far  out  of  the  town  as  to  be  off  the 
map.  Mr.  Robinson  lays  down  suggestions  for  the  street 
system  of  Colorado  Springs  which  will  give  those  strong 
through  lines  which  constitute  the  city's  framework  or 
skeleton. 

In  the  plat  of  the  original  central  portion  of  Colorado 
Springs,  the  narrowest  streets  are  100  feet  wide.  In  tact, 
in  all  of  Colorado  Springs,  it  is  only  occasionally  that  one 
finds  a  street,  or  even  a  section  of  a  street,  that  is  less  than 
80  feet  wide.  In  a  majority  of  the  streets  there  is  an  excess 
of  20  to  60  feet  in  width  for  every  traffic  need  and  for  a 
normal  amount  of  decoration.  In  that  excess  Mr.  Robin- 
son finds  Colorado  Springs'  unusual  opportunity;  in  the 
utilization  of  it,  the  development  of  the  city's  most  marked 
characteristic.  In  a  report  made  by  Mr.  Robinson  for 
Colorado  Springs  in  1905,  when  he  was  called  upon  to 
ailvise  with  regard  to  the  parking  of  the  city's  streets,  he 
went  into  the  subject  ot  parking  these  broad  streets  with 
much  thoroughness,  antl  he  discusses  the  development  of 
the  city's  streets  with  more  brevity  in  the  1912  report 
than  would  otherwise  be  the  case. 

\o  Xeighborhood  Parks. — Colorado  Springs  has  proba- 
bly the  largest  park  acreage  per  capita  of  any  city  in  the 
United  States.  These  great  parks  were  largely  acquired 
through  the  munificence  of  General  Palmer,  who  gave 
1 ,500  acres  of  land  for  park  purposes  and  hail  it  laid  out  at 


42 


CITY    PLANNING   PROGRESS 


1^ 


4n%i$» 


fl: 


CAPITOL    PARK 

COLUMBIA. 


AN©    MALL    «"^'^ 

LAMJSO 


Con'MBiA. — A  Suggested  Civic  Center  for  the  Grouviing  ot 
Columbia's  Future  Public  Buildings;  Part  of  a  Comprehensive 
Plan  for  the  Improvement  of  the  City. 

his  own  expense  with  boulevards,  driveways,  and  foot- 
paths, on  plans  drawn  by  Olmsted  Brothers,  of  Brookline, 
Mass.  Part  of  this  land  lay  in  the  city  and  part  extended 
over  mesas  and  the  adjacent  mountains.  Perhaps  the 
most  valuable  of  these  gifts  was  that  of  Monument  Valley 
Park,  bordering  Monument  Creek,  which,  before  the 
work  was  begun,  was  an  unsightly  2-mile  tract.  Although 
the  city  has  the  largest  park  acreage  per  capita  ot  any 


city  in  the  country,  it  has  less  than  182  acres  of  developed 
park  close  enough  to  the  built-up  sections  of  the  city,  to 
have  neighborhood  value.  Mr.  Robinson  points  out  the 
immediate  practical  bearing  ot  this  situation  in  the  city's 
plan.  The  park  system  is  plainly  deficient  as  far  as  ser- 
vice to  the  bulk  ot  people  ot  the  city  is  concerned,  but 
the  disproportion  of  financial  resources  to  acreage  repre- 
sents one  ot  the  given  conditions  with  which  the  city 
has  to  work.  To  solve  this  problem  with  the  least  addi- 
tion to  present  possessions,  and  to  supplement  and  de- 
velop the  park  lands  ot  today  so  that  these  shall  perform 
tor  Colorado  Springs  a  social  service,  he  recommends  a 
logical  and  natural  extension  of  Monument  Valley  Park, 
following  the  stream  banks  down  to  the  principal  cross 
street,  completing  the  only  considerable  park  within  the 
built-up  portion  ot  the  city,  destroying  a  slum,  changing 
an  eyesore  into  a  beauty  spot,  providing  opportunity  for 
active  and  needed  social  service,  and  enhancing  the  value 
(it  a  great  deal  of  property. 

Columbia 

South  Carolina 

Like  Washington,  Columbia  (■54,611)  had  the  remark- 
able and  unusual  privilege  ot  "choosing  its  own  site"  and 
the  fortune  to  have  had  its  plan  laid  out  by  those  who 
looked  far  enough  into  the  future  to  provide  streets  wide 
enough  for  a  metropolis  and  capable,  under  proper  treat- 
ment, ot  giving  to  the  entire  city  a  unique  parklike  effect 
enjoyed  by  but  few  cities  in  America.  Unfortunately, 
however,  the  gridiron  plan  drafted  and  laid  out  for  the  site 
of  the  capital  in  1787  gave  apparently  little,  if  any,  con- 
sideration to  topography.  The  site  is  on  a  broad,  undu- 
lating plateau  with  sudden  depressions,  so  that  the  wide, 
right-angled  streets  adopted  often  give  almost  impossible 
grades  or  terminate  altogether  in  dead  ends. 

Origifial  Plan  Disappearing. — Unfortunately,  too,  the 
tendency  has  been  to  ignore  entirely  the  original  street- 
plan  on  which  the  city  was  founded,  for  the  seeming  profit 
or  convenience  of  the  moment.  This  has  resulted  in  the 
partial  obliteration  of  some  streets  and  the  narrowing  ot 
others.  Further,  the  only  park  within  the  corporate 
limits — once  a  cool,  natural  forest  of  magnificent  trees — 
has  already  disappeared  and  is  now  being  used  as  railroad 
property. 

A Va'  Plans. — In  devising  a  plan  tor  the  extension  and 
improvement  of  the  city  for  the  Civic  League,  in  1905, 
Messrs.  Kelsey  and  Guild,  ot  Boston,  gave  consideration 
to  these  and  a  number  ot  other  urgent  problems,  with 
particular  emphasis  on  the  necessity  tor  controlling  the 
subdivision  of  land  beyond  the  broad  lines  ot  Columbia  as 
originally  planned.  At  present  these  plats  promise  to 
hedge  in  the  city  with  an  iron-bound  network  of  narrow, 
inconvenient,  alley-like  streets  and  roads,  totally  unfit  to 
become  an  integral  part  of  any  city.  The  report  entitled 
"The  Improvement  of  Columbia,  S.  C,"  presented  a  plan 
for  the  grouping  of  the  public  buildings,  with  the  capitol  as 
the  chief  feature,  and  especially  recommends  that  con- 
sideration be  given  to  the  development  ot  the  Congaree 
River,  the  best  landscape  feature  in  the  city,  and  the  preser- 
vation of  portions  of  its  boundary  tor  public  use. 


CITY   PLANNING   PR()(,RESS 


43 


Columbus 

Ohio 

The  Chamber  ot  Commerce  ot  Columbus  (214,878), 
of  which  George  W.  Gillette  is  secretary,  has  a  subcom- 
mittee now  at  work  on  city  planning  problems.  The 
Chamber  is  at  this  writing  considering  the  appointment 
of  experts  to  work  out  a  comprehensive  plan. 

General  Civic  Improiemenl  IVork  to  Dale. — The  Muni- 
cipal Recreation  Division  of  the  city  is  the  only  agenc\ 
guiding  playgrouml  activities.  This  department  super- 
vises vacant-lot  gardens  and  attempts  to  regulate  com- 
mercialized amusements.  Three  local  civic  organiza- 
tions are  now  studying  the  rerouting  of  the  local  street 
railway  system.  Plans  are  under  way  tor  the  abolishment 
of  all  grade  crossings  within  the  city  limits,  and  work  is 
being  carried  on  with  an  appropriation  from  a  bond  issue 
of  $700,000.  Nothing  is  being  done  to  develop  the  water- 
front, other  than  the  flood  protection  measures  in  the 
Scioto  and  Olentangy  Rivers,  tor  which  an  expenditure 
of  ?,•!, 500,000  is  to  be  made.  The  widening  of  North  High 
Street,  the  main  north  and  south  artery,  is  progressing. 
About  ?ioo,ooo  has  already  been  appropriated  for  this 
work,  and  $300,000  additional  will  be  needed  to  complete 
the  project.  Two  new  bridges  are  to  be  constructed  and 
part  of  the  flood  improvement  project  referred  to  above. 

The  Civic  Jvcakenin^. — The  citv  planning  movement 
began  about  1900  in  a  systematic  agitation  by  the  Colum- 
bus Board  of  Trade  tor  a  "Better  and  Greater  Columbus." 
The  Board  represented  1,000  business  men,  including  the 
heaviest  taxpayers,  and  its  campaign  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  starting  the  much-needed  public  works  subse- 
quently undertaken  to  provide  a  better  water-supply, 
improved  sewerage,  and  sewage  disposal.  These  were 
the  unromantic  practical  necessities  of  a  rapidly  growing 
and  prosperous  manufacturing  city.  When  this  work  was 
under  way,  consideration  was  given  to  parks,  parkways, 
and  playgrounds.  Columbus  occupied  a  humiliating  posi- 
tion among  the  other  cities  ot  the  country  in  this  respect. 

Getting  Under  Way — The  Park  Commission. — Public 
lectures  by  outside  authorities  stirred  many  citizens  to  a 
realization  of  the  great  need  for  improvement  in  this 
field,  yet  the  movement  was  slow.  Largely,  through  the 
influence  of  one  man,  however,  the  City  Council  passed, 
in  December,  1904,  a  resolution  appointing  a  park  com- 
mission to  consider  plans  for  a  general  park  system.  But 
the  Council,  yet  timid,  required  that  no  expense  attach 
to  the  citv  for  the  commission.  In  accordance  with  the 
resolution,  Mayor  JefFry  appointed  a  commission  ot 
eighteen,  representative  of  the  different  sections  ot 
Columbus.  .At  the  Commission's  first  meeting,  George  \V. 
Lattimer  was  elected  chairman.  The  Board  of  Trade 
appropriated  $350  for  preliminary  expenses  and  to 
secure  such  professional  advice  as  could  be  obtained  with 
the  means  available.  ."Advice  was  secured  from  an  archi- 
tect, a  landscape  architect,  and  a  general  civic  adviser, 
who  came  independently  from  three  distant  cities.  The 
latter  were  unanimous  in  their  conclusions  and  recom- 
mendations that  the  park  and  improvement  needs  of 
Columbus,  not  from  the  esthetic  point  of  view  only,  but 
for  the  comfort  of  the   citizens   and   the   betterment  of 


Coi.LMBis. — Scheme  Proposed  by  the  Columbus  Plan  Com- 
mi.ssion  for  a  State  and  Civic  Center. 

From  the  river  the  approach  to  the  Capitol  is  along  a  mall. 
On  the  east  side  of  the  Capitol  a  square  was  proposed  around 
which  buildings  were  to  be  grouped.  The  whole  problem  is  soon 
to  be  restutiied  by  a  special  .State  coinmission. 

living  conditions,  were  urgent;  and  that  the  opportuni- 
ties were  commensurate  with  the  needs.  These  reports, 
as  separately  rendered,  were  made  public,  increasing, 
both  in  its  extent  and  vigor,  the  popular  interest.  Then 
the  Commission  made,  as  required  by  the  resolution  under 
which  it  was  appointed,  a  report  to  the  City  Council. 
This  report,  based  on  the  statistics  and  other  information 
that  had  been  obtained,  and  on  the  reports  of  the  experts, 
reciteil  the  city's  needs  of  parks  and  the  arguments  for 
them. 

.ippropriation  for  Preliminary  Plan. — The  Public 
Improvement  Committee  ot  the  Board  of  Trade  (Mr. 
I.attimer  had  now  become  the  president  of  the  latter 
body),  the  City  Federation  ot  Women's  Clubs,  the  Play- 
ground -Association,  and  the  newspapers  endorsed  the 
report  with  its  accompanying  recommendation.  On  Sep- 
tember 17,  1906,  the  City  Council  passed  an  ordinance 
appropriating  the  maximum  sum  for  which  the  Committee 
had  asked  and  authorizing  and  directing  its  expenditure 
for  the  employment  of  experts  "to  make  a  study  ot  the 
streets,  alleys,  parks,  boulevards,  and  public  grounds." 

Composition  0/  the  Plan  Commission. — .Meanwhile, 
the  Park  Commission,  also  perceiving  how  the  project 
had  grown   in   importance  and  scope  since   the  citizens. 


44 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


as  a  whole,  had  been  aroused,  concluded  that  a  commis- 
sion of'  five  would  be  able  to  handle  so  many-sided  a  pro- 
ject to  greater  advantage  than  could  one  or  two.  After 
deliberation,  the  appointees  named  were:  Austin  W.  Lord, 
architect,  of"  New  York;  Charles  N.  Lowrie,  landscape 
architect,  of  New  York;  Albert  Kelsey,  architect,  of 
Philadelphia;  H.  A.  MacNeil,  sculptor,  of  New  York; 
and  Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  civic  adviser,  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  Three  of  the  five  were  those  from  whom  the  pre- 
liminary reports  had  been  previously  secured,  and  the 
other  two  had  been  associated  in  designing  the  McKinley 
monument  in  Columbus. 

M'ork  of  the  Plan  Commission. — On  January  29,  1907, 
the  Columbus  Plan  Commission,  as  it  was  formally  to 
be  known,  composed  of  these  five  experts,  held  its  first 
meeting  in  Columbus,  organized  with  Mr.  Lord  as  chair- 
man and  Mr.  Robinson  as  secretary.  Their  studies 
included  the  whole  city  of  Columbus  and  the  contiguous 
territory  over  which  the  growing  city  is  spreading.  In 
aim  their  report  submitted  in  February,  1908,  attempts 
to  cover  the  broad  field  as  comprehensively  and  care- 
fully as  possible.  It  outlined  only  a  tentative  scheme,  sug- 
gestive and  inspiring,  but  needing  subsequent  amplifica- 
tion and  development  in  various  details.  The  study,  in 
short,  was  preliminary.  As  such  it  divides  the  subjects  of 
its  discussion  into  three  main  groups:  (i)  Those  having 
to  do  with  the  city  as  a  whole — the  general  survey;  (2) 
those  having  to  do  with  a  park  system;  (3)  those  having 
to  do  with  a  state  or  civic  center. 

The  Problem. — As  to  the  problem,  the  city  of  Columbus 
represents  the  mingling  of  two  distinct  types  of  cities, 
with  a  considerable  injection  of  a  third  type.  It  is  at  once 
a  capital  city  and  an  industrial  city,  and,  secondly,  it  is 
an  educational  center.  The  three  types  are  theoretically 
antithetical,  and,  even  in  Columbus,  join  rather  than 
combine;  they  present  diverse  problems — the  capital 
city  of  a  great  state  calling  for  spectacular  effectiveness — 
for  the  magnificent  and  splendid  in  its  development;  the 
industrial  community  demanding  the  facilitation  of  com- 
merce, and  the  utilitarian  provision  of  ample  recreative 
facilities  for  a  working  population;  and  the  educational 
aspect  of  the  city,  inviting  an  exceedingly  artistic  develop- 
ment of  restful  beauty  and  refinement. 

Recommendations  of  the  Plan  Commission. — With  all 
its  prosperity  and  wealth,  Columbus  is  near  the  bottom 
of  the  list  in  the  matter  of  park  provision,  and  no  civic 
center  has  been  developed.  The  various  institutions  of 
city  and  state  are  still  unrelated,  waiting  to  be  tied 
together  in  a  comprehensive  scheme.  It  is  clear  that  a 
first  necessity  is  unification  of  the  city  plan.  This  does 
not  mean  impracticable  suggestions  for  a  radical  remaking 
of  the  urban  structure  or  street  system.  In  creating  this, 
the  first  point,  geographically,  politically,  and  historically, 
and  from  every  point  of  view,  is  the  State  House  as  stated 
in  the  report  of  the  Plan  Commission.  It  is  here  that  a 
civic  center  was  located  in  the  plan  of  the  Commission. 
Very  briefly,  the  design  worked  out  by  the  Commission 
for  Columbus  proposed  an  approach  to  the  Capitol  from 
the  river — a  mall,  or  dignified  green,  ultimately  to  be 
adorned  with  sculpture.  On  the  other,  or  east  side  of  the 
Capitol,  a  square  was  proposed,  surrounded  by  public 
buildings — municipal  and  county.    From  the  foot  of  the 


mall,  trunk  avenues,  branching  to  the  right  and  left,  are 
proposed,  connecting  with  parkways,  and  these  in  turn 
connect  with  scattered  parks  and  extend  through  the  city 
to  the  suburbs  and  beyond  to  distant  communities. 
Within  the  three-mile  zone,  a  girdle  parkway,  encircling 
the  city,  was  recommended.  At  the  intersection  of  this 
by  the  radial  streets,  oval  spaces  were  proposed  to  be 
developed  as  neighborhood  centers  for  street-car  trans- 
fers, local  shopping  centers,  and  especially  for  the  public 
and  semi-public  buildings  of  the  neighborhood.  A  scheme 
for  parks,  supplementing  the  present  small  reserved  areas 
in  the  city,  providing  athletic  and  truly  recreative  spaces, 
preserving  beautiful  natural  scenery,  utilizing  the  public 
ownership  of  land  at  the  great  public  works — such  as  the 
storage  dam  and  filter  beds — was  worked  out  in  a  general 
way.  The  Commission  also  recommended  a  codification 
of  rules  for  the  railway  bridges  and  street  depressions  of 
Columbus,  these  rules  to  include  recommendations  for 
their  design,  painting,  planting  and  ornamentation,  this 
coordination  and  systematizing  of  railroads  to  be  made 
the  subject  of  a  future  report. 

The  Future. — If  Columbus  is  to  become  a  truly  well- 
planned  city  providing  the  conveniences  and  commercial 
economies  expected  of  the  modern  municipality;  if  it  is  to 
be  made  up  of  that  happy  blending  of  city  and  country 
which  renders  urban  life  healthful  and  enjoyable;  and  if 
the  taxpayers  are  to  have  the  maximum  of  benefit  from 
their  expenditure,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  prepare  for 
a  gradual  readjustment  on  cooperative  lines.  To  over- 
take the  cities  of  her  size,  Columbus  has  not  only  to  strike 
their  gait,  but,  being  behind,  she  must  do  more  than  they 
in  order  to  get  abreast  of  them. 

Council  Bluffs 

Iowa 

We  hear  so  much  about  the  beauty  and  attractiveness 
of  foreign  cities  and  wonder  why  those  of  America  are  not 
so  fine.  Citing  Council  Bluffs  (31,484)  as  an  example, 
Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  of  Rochester,  in  his  "Report 
on  a  Park  System  for  Council  Bluffs"  says  that  natural 
opportunities  are  not  lacking  there  to  equal  any  of  the 
foreign  cities,  but  that  there  is  a  lack  of  courage  and  faith 
in  its  own  future — things  which  it  is  almost  inexcusable 
for  an  American  city  to  want,  situated  like  Council  Bluffs. 
The  resulting  timidity  on  the  part  of  the  city  to  appro- 
priate even  a  moderate  annual  sum  for  the  development  of 
open  spaces  and  connecting  boulevards  accounts  for  the 
poor  showing  which  it  now  makes.  The  city  is  fortunate 
in  the  possession  of  a  Park  Board  which  has  a  proper  con- 
ception of  its  duty  to  the  public  and  a  conscientious  regard 
for  the  city's  future  growth.  Mr.  Robinson's  duty  was  to 
point  out  the  deficiencies  and  prepare  an  outline  for  a 
complete  park  system  to  serve  as  a  guide  in  future  work. 

Selection  oj  Park  Lands. — The  six  general  principles 
which  he  states  as  the  guide  for  the  selection  of  park  lands 
for  Council  Bluffs  are  applicable  to  most  other  cities, 
namely: 

1.  That  the  best  typical  scenery  should  be  preserved. 

2.  Parks  should  be  distributed  so  as  to  serve  all  parts 

of  the  community. 


Cny   PLANNING   PROCiRESS 


45 


2-    Thfir  location  and,  to  sutli  an  extent  as  practicable, 
their  size  should  anticipate  the  city's  growth. 

4.  Other  things  being  equal,  lands  which  are  not  of 

great  value  tor  building  should  be  selected. 

5.  The  parks  should  invite  use,  in   the  sense  of  per- 

forming an  active  social  service — thev  should  be 
created  sparingly,  if  at  all,  for  purely  esthetic 
purposes. 

6.  There  must  he  due  regani  tor  financial  linntations. 
Mr.   Robinson  says  ot  Council   Bkitfs  that,  measuring 

her  park  possessions  by  these  principles,  thay  have  extra- 
ordinary merit.  But  he  finds  that  there  are  certain  desir- 
able improvements  and  extensions.  He  sums  up  the  situa- 
tion by  saying  that  "if  there  are  few  cities  so  well  supplied 
with  park  tracts,  there  are  few  that  are  getting  so  little 
profit  relatively  out  of  what  they  have,  and  this  is  due,  in  a 
large  measure,  to  an  insufficient  annual  appropriation  for 
improvement  and  extension." 

Dallas 

Texas 

City  planning  in  Dallas  (124,527)  is  making  steady 
progress  as  a  result  ot  the  momentum  imparted  to  it  by 
the  great  campaign  ot  education  begun  in  1909.  .A  park 
system  has  been  laid  out,  new  streets  are  being  opened  and 
old  ones  widened,  terminal  tacilities  for  railroads  and 
transit  lines  are  being  studied  and  improved,  and  well- 
known  engineers  have  recently  proposed  plans  for  a  belt- 
line  railroad  and  grade-crossing  elimination. 

Gelling  Started. — Back  of  this  remarkable  accomplish- 
ment of  the  last  seven  years  is  an  interesting  story  ot  how 
a  city  has  been  aroused  by  agencies  that  have  brought 
intelligent  effort  and  liberal  financial  support  to  bear  in 
working  on  problems  ot  civic  improvement.  Located  in 
the  most  fertile  agricultural  region  ot  the  United  States, 
the  city  had,  from  the  very  beginning,  a  great  destiny.  In 
sixty  years  it  grew  from  a  mere  cluster  of  houses  to  a  city 
of  over  100,000  people.  With  the  expansion  into  a  great 
city  of  a  village  at  a  temporary  railroad  terminus,  no 
apparent  thought  was  given  to  the  needs  of  the  increasing 
population.  There  were  a  tew  who  were  not  content  to  sit 
idly  by,  leaving  a  raw,  uncouth  city  as  a  heritage  to  their 
children's  children.  In  February,  1909,  George  B.  Dealey, 
Vice-president  and  General  Manager  of  the  Dallas  News, 
presented  the  first  practical  suggestion  for  a  city  plan  for 
Dallas.  Four  months  later  the  First  .'Annual  Conference 
on  City'  Planning  was  held  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  Mr. 
Dealey  sent  a  representative  to  this  Conference  who  was 
commissioned  to  keep  the  people  of  Dallas  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  what  went  on  at  that  time.  How  well 
this  was  done  and  how  keenly  the  News  appreciated  the 
scope  and  intent  of  city  planning  is  evidenced  by  the  rapid 
growth  ot  public  sentiment  in  Dallas  and  other  cities  where 
the  News  was  read.  Then  followed  a  long  and  vigorous 
campaign  of  education,  explanatory  ot  the  thought  of 
modern  city  planning  and  replanning. 

Gelling  Results. — The  time  soon  arrived  when  something 
tangible  had  to  be  done  under  the  pressure  of  public  senti- 
ment. The  Chamber  ot  Commerce  cooperated  with  the 
management  of  the  .News.    In  January,  1910,  it  organized  a 


Dali.a.s. — Skeleton  of  Dallas  City  Plan  and  System  of  Outer 
Boulevards  and  Interior  Parks  and  Parkways. 

practical  city  planning  program,  and  the  City  Planning 
and  Improvement  League  ot  forty  members  was  formed. 
\'arious  subcommittees  investigated  and  studied  the 
coordinate  features  ot  the  comprehensive  plan.  Henry  D. 
Lindley,  since  elected  Mayor,  was  elected  General  Chair- 
man and  Geo.  B.  Dealey  was  elected  Vice-chairman.  In 
May,  1 910,  Geo.  E.  Kessler  was  chosen  to  prepare  the  city 
plan.  He  submitted  his  plan  in  the  same  year  to  the  Park 
Board,  which  had  the  executive  control  ot  the  work.  The 
report,  a  very  interesting  document  entitled  ".\  City  Plan 
for  Dallas,"  contained  recommendations  ot  a  preliminary 
character  but  sufficiently  detailed  to  make  a  comprehensive 
plan  tor  the  big  features.  .Attention  was  given  especially 
to  the  most  urgent  problems  rather  than  to  those  which  did 
not  concern  the  city  so  vitally  at  the  time  the  investiga- 
tion was  made.  The  principle  elements  ot  the  plan  investi- 
gated were  the  treatment  of  the  Trinity  River  banks,  the 
development  of  a  belt  railroad,  the  location  ot  the  Union 
Station,  the  arrangement  of  freight  terminals,  the  selec- 
tion ot  site  tor  civic  center,  the  elimination  of  grade  cross- 
ings, the  revision  ot  street  system,  building  a  comprehen- 
sive system  of  parks  and  boulevards,  and  the  creating  ot 
additional  playgrounds.  .All  these  features  were  presented, 
with  diagrams  and  maps. 

.■/cliofi. — In  .April,  1910,  the  agitation  in  regard  to  city 
planning  was  so  pronounced  that  a  bond  issue  tor  public 
improvement  was  undertaken,  and  Ji, 300,000  in  bonds 
were  voted  for  the  city  planning  work  recommended  by 
Mr.  Kessler. 

How  It  M'as  Done.  —Dallas  accomplished  her  real  work 
ot  city  planning  in  five  months,  and  owes  in  a  large  measure 
the  success  attending  the  movement  to  the  Dallas  News. 
The  Chamber  of  Commerce,  however,  has  taken  the 
responsibility  for  carrying  out  the  details  ot  the  city  plan. 
Dallas  has  taught  the  cities  of  the  country  that  large  move- 
ments involving  the  interests  of  all  classes  ot  people  must 
be  carefully  planned,  and  that  the  mass  ot  city-dwellers 
needs  to  be  educated,  and  once  this  is  accomplished, 
endorsement  ot  city  planning  measures  is  certain  to  follow. 


46 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Courles\-  Tbe  American  City 
Davenport. — Reclamation  of  Riverfront  with  Park,  Parkway,  Union  Station,  and  Public  Building  Sites,  Landing  Levee,  and 
Industrial  Waterfront  Terminal,  Now  Well  under  Way. 


Davenport 

Iowa 

With  a  large  part  of  its  million  dollar  rivertroiit  reclama- 
tion project  completed,  Davenport  (48,811)  has  taken  a 
great  step  in  advance.  This  work  has  been  in  charge  ot 
the  Levee  Improvement  Commission,  authorized  by  state 
law  in  1909,  and  organized  under  an  ordinance  of  the  City 
Council  in  191 1.  The  organization  of  the  Commission  is 
directly  traceable  to  the  activities  of  the  Greater  Daven- 
port Committee,  which,  while  primarily  interested  in  the 
commercial  and  industrial  phases  ot  city  development,  has 
had  among  its  members  those  who  saw  in  the  undeveloped 
riverfront  a  splendid  opportunity  for  the  city  to  acquire  a 
first-class  recreational  waterfront  park.  With  the  Greater 
Davenport  movement  back  ot  the  Levee  Commmission's 
recommendations,  development  of  the  riverfront  proceeded 
rapidly.  In  the  fall  of  19 14,  the  first  part  of  the  scheme  was 
completed,  namely,  the  reclamation  of  approximately 
7  acres  for  park  purposes  bordering  the  down-town  dis- 


trict. It  is  intended  in  the  course  ot  time  to  use  certain 
lands  obtained  by  the  readjustment  of  the  rights  of  way  of 
the  railway  companies  tor  sites  tor  public  and  semi-public 
buildings,  the  exact  plan  tor  these  not  having  yet  been 
definitely  decided  upon,  but  it  is  proposed  to  locate  an 
academy  of  sciences,  a  municipal  casino,  and  a  new  union 
station  upon  part  of  this  land. 

Riverfro7it  Development. — The  ground  reclaimed  for  park 
purposes  is  but  a  portion  of  the  entire  project.  A  large  part 
of  the  work  of  the  Commission  lies  back  of  the  river  and 
above  the  present  park  area.  During  the  summer  ot  1916, 
and  in  the  current  year,  the  Commission  is  building  a 
commercial  levee,  approximately  800  teet  long  and  about 
250  feet  deep.  This  is  part  of  the  requirements  of  the 
United  States  Government,  and  will  provide  no  revenue. 
It  will  serve  merely  as  a  landing  tor  ferry  and  excursion 
boats.  Further  up  the  river,  and  beyond  the  Government 
levee,  lies  the  industrial  section,  which  atfords  the  greatest 
problem  with  which  the  Commission  is  dealing.  When  the 
work  of  reclamation  here  is  completed,  the  city  will  have 
over  100  acres  ot  land  for  factories  and  warehouses,  extend- 


CouTtesy  Tbe  American  City 
Davenport. — Levee  Wall,  Showing  Progress  in  the  Work  ot  Reclamation;  Riverfront  Park  Brought  to  Gr.ide. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


47 


ing  for  tour  blocks  along  the  riverfront  and  back  troni  the 
river  to  a  depth  of  1.55  to  250  feet.  At  this  point  the  river- 
front terminal,  with  its  modern  machinery  and  a  municipal 
warehouse,  will  be  erected. 

Paying  the  /i;7/.(.— While  the  cost  ot  the  entire  scheme 
is  estimated  at  f  1,000,000,  the  expenditure  ot  this  sum  will 
add  J_i,ooo,ooo  worth  of  hind  to  the  city's  possessions.  'l"he 
unique  teature  ot  the  work  ot  the  Commission  has  been  its 
policy  of  paying  interest  on  all  bonds  and  the  retirement  ot 
bonds  serially  from  moneys  raised  as  rent  for  property 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Commission.  .All  improve- 
ments have  been,  and  will  be,  obtained  without  a  cent  ot 
expense  to  the  taxpayer.  R.  J.  Clausen,  architect,  has 
served  for  five  years  as  a  member  ot  the  Levee  Commission. 
L.  \V.  Ramsey  is  landscape  architect  tor  the  Commission, 
and  Irving  C.  Norwood  is  secretary  ot  the  Greater  Daven- 
port Committee. 

Recently  the  City  Council  passed  a  resolution  authoriz- 
ing the  preparation  of  a  city  plan  by  the  City  Engineer. 
The  resolution  calls  for  "a  comprehensive  plan  for  the 
orderly  development  and  extension  of  the  street  system  of 
the  city  of  Davenport,  containing  suggestions  for  the 
correction  of  mistakes  where  the  present  plan  is  considered 
defective,  and  recommendations  tor  controlling  the  plat- 
ting and  development  ot  tracts  within  and  contiguous  to 
the  city  limits,  minimum  size  ot  lots,  limitation  ot  number 
of  houses  to  the  acre,  the  establishment  ot  building  lines, 
residential,  retail  and  manutacturing  districts,  and  contain- 
ing other  matters  pertinent  to  such  plan,  same  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  city  council  for  approval  and  adoption." 
The  City  Engineer  is  authorized  to  employ  such  other 
persons  as  may  be  needed  in  drafting  the  plan. 

Dayton 

Ohio 

Under  the  plan  adopted  in  1914,  the  city  of  Dayton 
(127,224)  has  made  remarkable  progress  in  bringing  muni- 
cipal administration  and  general  civic  improvement  up  to 
a  higher  level  than  at  any  previous  period  in  the  history 
of  the  city.  .An  oiTicial  City  Planning  Board  was  appointed 
about  two  years  ago  to  serve  as  an  auxiliary  to  the  City 
Service  Director.  The  latter  by  virtue  of  his  office  has 
official  charge  of  city  planning.  The  Planning  Board  is 
now  working  on  a  general  city  plan.  John  F.  Ohmer  is 
chairman  of  the  Planning  Board.  Horace  Irvin  and  Louis 
Lott,  member  of  the  .American  Institute  ot  .Architects, 
are  members. 

Park  System. — A  short  time  ago  the  city  published  a 
report  submitteed  in  191 1  by  Olmsted  Brothers,  ot 
Brookline,  Mass.,  on  a  "Proposed  Park  System  tor  the 
City  of  Dayton."  .As  the  report  points  out,  Dayton  is 
poorly  divided  with  park  areas.  On  the  criterion  that  an 
acre  of  park  should  be  provided  for  every  100  persons,  or 
that  one-tenth  of  the  fairly  well-built-up  areas  ot  the  city 
should  be  set  aside  tor  park  uses,  Dayton  should  have  971 
acres  of  parks  according  to  the  first  rule  and  866  under 
the  second.  The  city  has  already  made  some  progress  in 
the  provision  of  parks  of  small  size  and  has  laid  out  some 
pleasure  drives,  serving  also  as  ordinary  streets.  .At  the 
time  the  report  was  made  out,  it  had  five  small  pleasure 


grounds,  having  a  total  area  of  about  19  acres,  located  in 
densely  built-up  portions  of  the  city.  The  report  recom- 
mends that  the  city  now  concentrate  its  attention  on  large 
parks  and  parkways,  and  that  modern  playgrounds  be 
laid  out  to  be  ailministratcii  by  the  School  Board. 

The  plan  calls  tcjr  twenty-six  playgrounds,  with  an 
approximate  total  area  of  2jo  acres;  nine  small  parks, 
ranging  from  12  to  26  acres  each,  with  a  total  of  216  acres; 
and  four  large  parks,  ranging  from  86  to  510  acres,  with 
a  total  of  1,060  acres;  or  a  grand  total  of  1,506  acres. 
River  parkways  and  circumferential  parkways  are  pro- 
posed having  a  length  of  19  miles  and  a  boulevard  of  9 
miles.  The  total  outlay  would  be  ?  1,968,000  for  parks  and 
;?jj4,ooo  for  parkways. 

Decatur 

Illinois 

Decatur  (39,631)  has  joined  the  city  planning  move- 
ment within  the  past  year.  The  Association  of  Commerce 
has  appointed  a  city  planning  committee,  with  W.  F. 
Hardy  as  chairman.  The  other  leaders  in  this  movement 
are  Robert  I.  Hunt,  E.  P.  Irving,  and  .Adolph  Mueller.  No 
funds  have  been  set  aside  yet  tor  actual  studies  and  investi- 
gations. The  city  is  evidently  much  in  need  ot  active  city 
planning  endeavor.  .Although  there  are  213  acres  ot  parks, 
no  boulevards  have  been  hiid  out,  no  waterfront  improve- 
ments planned,  and  the  merest  start  has  been  made  in 
the  development  of  a  recreational  system.  The  thorough- 
fare system  and  the  passenger  station  and  approaches  are 
also  in  need  of  study ,  and,  in  general,  there  is  every  indication 
that  the  new  city  planning  committee  has  begun  its 
endeavors  none  too  soon.  Comprehensive  planning  is  one 
of  Decatur's  chiet  needs  at  the  present  time. 

Denver 

Colorado 

In  1905  the  .Art  Commission  of  Denver  (260,800),  with 
the  approval  of  the  Mayor,  invited  Charles  Mulford 
Robinson  to  prepare  schemes  for  the  improvement  of  the 
city.  The  results  ot  Mr.  Robinson's  investigations  were 
published  in  the  form  of  a  report  entitled  "Proposed  Plans 
tor  the  Improvement  of  the  City  of  Denver."  It  became 
an  absorbing  topic  in  the  daily  press  and  was  favorably 
received  by  the  commercial  and  other  organizations. 
Action  was  delayed  by  an  adverse  vote  on  the  issuance  ot 
bonds,  but  the  .Art  Commission  and  its  friends  began  a 
vigorous  agitation  for  what  they  believed  to  be  a  pressing 
need,  namely,  the  planning  of  a  civic  center.  .A  small 
group  of  men,  united  by  a  common  purpose,  succeeded  in 
gaining  such  support  that  the  Mayor,  Robert  \V.  Speer, 
then,  and  now,  the  chief  official  supporter  ot  forward  move-' 
ments  of  this  sort,  appointed  a  special  committee  ot  twelve 
influential  citizens  to  consider  the  advisibility  of  con- 
demning property  near  the  State  Capitol.  In  February, 
1907,  the  Committee  made  a  report  to  the  Mayor  which 
recommended  a  modification  of  the  Robinson  Plan. 
.Although  regarded  as  a  step  in  the  right  direction,  it  was 
open  to  serious  objection  and  remained  in  abeyance  for  a 


L 

1 

N      C      0      L      N 

'-     SEN 

'//    ,/    /A- 

CENTEP. 
p.  coLOP,Ar>n 

-.:.'.  ■■  • 

•      ? -: --JIlfMETT 

:.     T     R    r     E     T 


R^:: 


5      H      C      H      M     A      N 


ILiZ:. 


i.ta 


Denver  Civic  Center  Plan. 
(See  frontispiece) 


■-'5     T     RE     E    T 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCJRKSS 


4'> 


tew  montlis  until  Kreilcnck  MacMonnics  came  to  tile  city 
ami  inciiientally  tlratted  a  new  plan  as  a  result  of  the 
solicitation  ot  Henry  Read,  now  president  ot  the  Denver 
Art  Commission.  This  plan  met  with  immediate  accept- 
ance. The  Committee  ot  twelve  agreed  to  substitute  it 
for  the  previous  reports,  and  it  became  the  basis  for  the 
present  civic  center.  A  campaign  of  education  followed, 
and  the  land  was  tinally  condemneii  in  1909,  the  cost  being 
assessed  against  the  F.ast  Denver  Park  District. 

Bitterlv  contested  legal  battles  intervened,  and  before 
any  practical  steps  could  be  taken  to  carry  out  the  work,  a 
new  administration  came  into  office  in  191 2.  Then  the 
Park  Board  called  in  Frederick  Law  Olmsted  and  .Arnold 
\V.  Brunner  to  advise  on  the  civic  center  project.  Detailed 
plans  were  prepared  by  them  and  were  under  con.sidera- 
tion  when  the  adoption  ot  a  commission  form  of  govern- 
ment tor  Denver  and  the  subsequent  abolition  ot  the  Park 
Board  caused  further  delay  and  uncertaintv.  The  major 
part  ot  the  ground  has,  however,  now  been  cleared  and  the 
central  area  laid  out  in  skeleton  torm.  In  1916,  with  the 
reelection  ot  Robert  \V.  Speer  as  Mayor,  the  civic  center 
project  took  a  new  lease  of  lite,  with  the  eniplovnient  ot 
E.  H.  Bennett,  of  Chicago,  in  May,  1916,  to  modify  the 
civic  center  plan.  In  February,  1917,  Mr.  Bennett  sub- 
mitted his  proposals  for  the  further  development  of  the 
civic  center,  and  the  three  main  features  of  the  proposeti 
plan  having  alreadv  been  accepted  by  the  citv,  and  it  is 
expected  that  they  will  be  put  into  execution  during  the 
vear  1917.  The  central  idea  is  a  court  of  honor  for  civic 
benetactors — and  the  basis  for  this  is  a  semi-circular, 
double  colonnade — combined  with  an  open-air  theatre. 
The  names  ot  all  Denver  citizens,  alive  or  dead,  who  con- 
tribute gifts  to  beautify  the  city  or  to  add  to  its  educa- 
tional advantages  in  a  dignified  and  substantial  manner, 
are  to  be  inscribed  upon  these  columns  in  fitting  form. 

Parks. — Parks,  parkways,  boulevards,  and  plavgrounds 
have  occupied  an  important  place  in  the  civic  scheme  ot 
Denver.  In  1907  Geo.  E.  Kessler,  landscape  architect,  of 
St.  Louis,  was  called  in  to  systematize  improvements  in 
this  direction,  and  he  remained  in  close  touch  with  the 
situation  tor  several  years.    In  a  general  way,  his  policy 


was  to  develop  existing  parks  to  the  tullest  extent  anil  to 
connect  them  by  a  girdle  ot  boulevards  and  parkways  encir- 
cling the  city,  so  designed  as  to  afford  a  succession  ot 
scenic  points  that  openeil  upon  the  city  or  upon  the  snow- 
capped peaks  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  range."  Playgrounds 
received  attention.  Ornamental  lighting  was  installed, 
and  various  other  improvements  were  carried  out.  Denver 
now  has  four  large  and  twenty-two  minor  parks,  eighteen 
playgrountis,  and  twenty-tour  boulevards,  or  parkways. 
The  parks  contain  about  1,240  acres. 

Mouiilaiii  Parks.  -More  remotely  bearing  upon  the 
subject  of  city  planning  is  the  creation  ot  a  mountain 
park  system  for  Denver.  Under  a  recent  state  act,  Denver 
is  permitted  to  establish  parks  and  boulevards  outside 
of  its  corporate  limits,  and  it  has  proceeded  to  secure  a 
chain  of  mountain  parks,  occupying  various  vantage 
points  from  which  magnificent  panoramic  views  ot  moun- 
tain and  plain  stretch  away  to  the  horizon.  The  parks  are 
scattered  over  an  area  of  about  70  square  miles,  at  eleva- 
tions of  7,000  to  10,000  feet  above  sea-level,  and  at  dis- 
tances of  15  to  30  miles  trom  Denver.  They  are  opened  up 
and  connected  with  each  other  and  the  city  by  more  than 
200  miles  of  roadway,  of  which  important  links  have 
already  been  improved  or  constructed.  The  Department 
of  the  Interior  (authorized  by  act  of  Congress)  has  with- 
drawn from  entry,  in  favor  of  Denver,  an  additional  7,000 
acres  for  mountain  park  purposes,  which  the  city  can  now 
acquire  at  a  nominal  cost.  The  land  already  purchased 
was  secured  on  the  advice  ot  Frederick  I^aw  Olmsted,  who 
planned  the  entire  svstem  in  191J.  The  enterprise  is 
financed  bv  a  halt-mill  levy  tor  a  jierioti  ot  five  years. 

Des  Moines 

Iowa 

To  the  sustained,  wide-awake,  progressive  work  ot  the 
Civic  Improvement  Committee  ot  the  Commercial  Club, 
and  to  the  recent  activities  ot  the  Town  Planning  Com- 
mittee, Des  Moines  (101,598)  owes  the  advances  she  has 
made  in  the  city  planning  field.    With  the  reorganization 


2> 


Dks   MoiNKS.    -New  Capitol  (Jroiiruls  ot  One  Huruircii  .-Xcre.s. 
The  scheme  of  improvement  is  closely  rehiteil  to  that  of  the  Civic  Center  on  the  riverfront.    The  approach  Irom  the  west  is  1 
boulevard  120  feet  wide,  extending  trom  the  Civic  Center,  seven  blocks  away,  to  the  Capitol. 


50 


CITY  PLANNINC;    PROGRESS 


L. 

l),qVI0'>ONS 

M 

■ 

v4^ 

■I'!," 

^^m      n^^H 

Des   Moines. — Typical  l\:\cit:iiMi  \  ili\  about  19IO;  State  Capitol  in  Distan 


of  the  Civic  Improvement  Committee  in  1907  and  the 
addition  of  three  architects  to  its  membership,  the  work  of 
the  Committee  grew,  and  the  character  of  its  membership 
changed  to  such  an  extent  that  its  duties  were  eventually 
merged  into  those  of  the  Town  Planning  Committee  (in- 
corporated in  1916  under  the  laws  ot  Iowa).  The  latter 
Committee  now  has  in  its  membership  two  architects,  one 
landscape  architect,  and  eleven  persons  in  various  lines  of 
activity.  The  secretary  of  this  Committee  is  Frank.  E. 
Wetherell,  a  member  of  the  American  Institute  of  Archi- 
tects. The  Committee  is  now  working  in  harmony  with  the 
Citv  Commission  (in  fact,  an  ordinance  has  been  passed 
making  the  Committee,  in  an  advisory  capacity,  a  part  of 
the  city  administration)  and  is  now  carrying  on  its  work 
under  three  main  divisions: 

1.  Boulevards. 

2.  Riverfront  improvements. 

3.  Capital  extension. 

Riverfront. — Prior  to  1907  various  committees  and 
organizations  with  civic  interests  had  attempted  to  lay 
down  a  program  by  which  Des  Moines  could  best  improve 
and  conserve  its  natural  opportunities,  particularly  with 
respect  to  boulevards  and  park  areas.  One  architect, 
purely  out  ot  the  interest  he  felt  in  the  subject,  made,  at  his 
own  expense,  several  excellent  plans  tor  a  driveway  system 
and  riverfront  improvements.  Finally,  deeming  that  active 
and  concerted  action  alone  would  bring  tangible  results, 


the  Women's  Club  secured  the  cooperation  ot  all  ot  the 
improvement  leagues,  the  Commercial  Club,  and  the  real 
estate  men.  They  jointly  went  before  the  Council  in  a 
body  and  secured  the  engagement  ot  Charles  Multord 
Robinson,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  to  make  a  study  ot  the 
city  and  report  on  a  rational  city  plan,  particularly  with 
reference  to  a  civic  center,  the  capitol  grounds,  a  park  and 
boulevard  svstem,  and  the  streets  ot  Des  Moines.  In  due 
time  Mr.  Robinson's  report  was  submitted.  One  ot  the 
principal  recommendations  made  was  that  tor  a  civic  center 
on  the  riverfront,  a  nucleus  for  which  already  existed.  The 
Civic  Improvement  Committee  of  the  Commercial  Club 
agreed  to  make  detailed  studies  of  Mr.  Robinson's  pro- 
posals and  employed  Ray  Floyd  Weirick  to  assist  them. 
When  these  studies  were  completed,  the  City  Council 
employed  Mr.  Weirick  as  resident  landscape  architect  to 
execute  the  civic  center  project  and  to  work  on  the  other 
improvement  plans.  When  the  Civic  Improvement  Com- 
mittee first  inaugurated  the  movement  tor  a  civic  center 
on  the  riverfront,  both  banks  of  the  river  were  lined  with 
billboards,  shacks,  and  accumulations  of  rubbish,  but, 
under  the  impetus  given  to  the  work  by  it,  the  city  has 
gone  steadily  ahead  with  the  entire  plan.  Since  the  work 
was  begun,  tour  public  buildings  have  been  completed  on 
either  side,  and  a  Federal  courthouse  and  art  museum  and 
municipal  court  building  are  in  contemplation.  Two  con- 
crete bridges  have  been  constructed,  linking  the  two  sides 


Des  Moines. — View  of  West  Riverfront,  as  It  Appears  Today  from  Steps  of  New  Municipal  Building. 
Two  new  bridges,  at  Locust  and  Walnut  Streets,  part  of  the  riverfront  improvement  scheme,  are  shown;  another  bridge  is  nov 
in  course  of  construction. 


CITY   PLANNING    PRUCiRESS 


5' 


Des   Moines. — Model  of  Rivertronr 
Municipal  Building,  and  Federal  Court. 

of  the  civic  center,  and  contracts  tor  two  more  have  just 
been  let.  .-Ml  the  river  banks  have  been  graded,  river  walls 
have  been  built,  more  are  under  construction,  and  consid- 
erable landscape  work  has  been  done.  .Aside  from  the  con- 
templated buildings  and  bridges,  the  riverfront  improve- 
ment is  about  75  per  cent  completed  and  now  stands  as 
the  greatest  accomplishment  of  the  Civic  Improvement 
Committee  of  the  Commercial  Club  and  its  successor,  the 
Town  Planning  Committee. 

Boulevards. — Three  of  the  architects  serving  on  the 
Town  Planning  Committee  have  been  appointed  to  serve 
with  the  City  Commissioner  ot  Streets  on  a  Boulevard 
Commission  which  is  now  preparing  maps,  surveys,  and 
the  like,  ready  for  real  work  when  the  State  Assembly 
passes  the  legislation  necessary  to  begin  construction.  The 
Commission's  program  calls  for  20  miles  of  boulevard 
development.  There  are  now  about  800  acres  ot  public 
park,  all  of  which  have  been  paid  for  and  some  ot  which 
have  been  improved.  When  the  time  comes  the  city  will 
improve  all  of  its  parks,  connect  them  with  scenic 
boulevards,  as  provided  in  the  program  ot  the  Boulevard 
Commission,  and  give  to  the  people  a  place  where  they  can 
enjoy  the  good  things  ot  outdoor  lite. 


Imprcivenu-nt  and  Civic  Center,  l.ookint;  Kast,  Showing  Coliseum,  l.ihrary,  I'ost  Drfice, 


Capi/o/  Sci/iiix-  I'he  third  notable  work  in  Des  Moines 
is  that  of  the  Capitol  Kxtension  Commission.  The  Town 
Planning  Committee  is  represented  on  this  Commission, 
the  secretary  serving  as  a  member  ot  the  Commission,  so 
that  the  work  of  the  two  bodies  has  in  a  measure  been 
related.    The  state  provided  for  the  purchase  of  over  100 


Dks    M()Im>.      Civic   Center  .ind   Kiverlront,   \'iew   Looking 
South. 

acres  of  property  surrounding  the  capitol  building.  This 
propertv  has  been  cleared  ot  obstruction  and  is  now  being 
parked  and  landscaped.  The  scheme  ot  improvement  is 
closely  related  to  that  of  the  civic  center  on  the  rivertront. 
The  western  approach  to  the  new  capitol  development  is 
by  way  of  a  boulevard,  120  feet  wide,  extending  from  the 


Detroit. — Proposed  Bridge  to  Belle  Isle,  the  City's  Splendid  Island  Playground.    Cass  (Jilbert,  .Architect. 
A  monumental  structure  which  the  city  has  an  opportunity  of  realizing,  now  that  the  old  truss  bridge  has  been  ilestroyed  by  fire. 


52 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


civic  center,  through  the  city  proper,  to  the  capitol  build- 
ing, seven  blocks  away.  Edgar  H.  Harhin,  secretary  ot 
the  Allison  Memorial  Commission  ot  Des  Moines,  has 
characterized  the  work  ot  the  Capitol  Extension  Commis- 
sion as  "the  most  complete  seizure  of  opportunity  through 
public  law  that  an  American  Commonwealth  has  recently 
made." 

The  Task  Ahead. — The  esthetic  side  of  Des  Moines 
development  has  been  remarkably  well  taken  care  of.  It 
remains  to  secure  equal  or  even  better  results  on  the  prac- 
tical side  of  city  planning. 

Detroit 

Michigan 

Probably  no  other  city  in  America  has  had  the  benefit 
of  so  much  expert  advice  in  city  planning  problems  as 
Detroit  (571,784).  Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  Frederick 
Law  Olmsted,  E.  H.  Bennett,  T.  Glenn  Phillips,  Cass  Gil- 
bert and  Arthur  C.  Comey,  not  to  mention  specialists  in 
engineering  who  have  studied  specific  problems  such  as 
transportation,  water-supply  and  sewage,  and  the  like, 
have  made  studies  and  contributed  reports  on  various 
phases  of  the  Detroit  city  plan. 

Early  Piaiining. — Detroit  was  tortunate  in  the  early 
days  in  being  built  according  to  a  studied  plan.  When  the 
city  was  burned  in  1805,  and  while  it  was  still  a  small  heap 
of  ruins.  Judge  Augustus  B.  Woodward  came  trom  Wash- 
ington, under  appointment  trom  the  Federal  Government, 
as  Circuit  Judge  tor  Michigan.  The  city  ot  Washington 
itself  had  been  planned  only  a  score  of  years  before,  and 


with  the  vision  ot  L'Enfant's  future  city  of  Washington 
before  him.  Judge  Woodward  immediately  set  to  work  to 
draft  a  plan  tor  the  new  city  according  to  L'Enfant's 
ideas.  This  plan  was  adopted  by  the  city  fathers  and  used 
to  a  large  extent  in  replacing  the  burned  city  area.  As  a 
result,  some  ot  the  best-known  streets  in  Detroit  today 
were  axes  in  the  plan  which  Judge  Woodward  prepared. 
Woodward  Avenue,  a  great  main  axis,  and  Jefferson 
Avenue,  a  good  cross  axis,  the  Campus  Martius,  Grand 
Circus  Park,  and  little  parks  dotted  here  and  there,  framed 
the  Woodward  scheme.  Detroit  sutfered  a  great  misfor- 
tune in  not  developing  in  outlying  sections  according  to 
the  Woodward  plan. 

Recent  Plautiing. — Ot  recent  years,  city  planning 
received  a  great  impetus  as  a  result  of  the  activity  of  the 
Board  ot  Commerce,  and  later  ot  the  Official  City  Plan 
and  Improvement  Commission,  organized  in  1910  by 
ordinance  of  the  City  Council.  Charles  Multord  Robinson 
submitted  a  report  to  the  Board  ot  Commerce  on  "Civic 
Improvement  in  Detroit"  over  a  decade  ago,  and  this  was 
tollowed  immediately  by  a  report  by  Frederick  Law 
Olmsted,  which  was  published  in  1905,  entitled  "Improve- 
ment of  the  City  of  Detroit."  This  report  was  reprinted 
in  191  5,  and  although  now  ten  years  old  it  deserves  a  most 
caretiil  reading  by  students  ot  city  planning.  The  great 
civic  opportunity,  which  Mr.  Olmsted  emphasized  in  1905, 
tor  the  preservation  ot  the  Detroit  watertront  and  tor  a 
broad  handling  of  the  big  problem  ot  city  development, 
is  yet  unrealized,  and  the  conclusion  is  borne  out  in  this 
instance  in  particular  that  unless  cities  do  seize  the  oppor- 
tunities which  expert  investigations  reveal,  they  stand  a 
great  chance  of  losing  them  forever. 


Detroit. — Proposed  Two-Level  Tr.ifTic  Separation  Scheme  at  the  Terminus  ot  the  Proposed  Belle  Isle  Bridge. 
Trolley  cars  from  the  bridge  or  the  debouching  streets,  circle  the  plaza  on  the  surface;   automobiles  pass  down  an  incline  to  the 
subway  level  and  then  out. 


CITY   PI.ANNIN(^    PK()(;RKSS 


53 


J.J<^' 


Detroit. — Diagrammatic  Scheme  ot  Proposed  Parks,  Parkways,  and  Encircling  Boulevards. 

Plan  and  Improvement  Commission  is  that  liv  Arthur  C 
Comey,  entitled  "Detroit  Suburban  Planning,"  which  was 
submitted  in  May,  1915,  and  which  extends  the  principles 


Civic  Center. — Then,  in  191J,  came  the  next  significant 
study  in  which  was  forecast  a  report  to  be  mentioned 
later.  This  was  the  report  " .\  Center  of  .^rts  and  Letters," 
published  in  1913  and  prepared  for  the  City  and  Improve- 
ment Commission  by  Edward  H.  Bennett  and  Frank 
Miles  Day.  The  report  laid  down  a  plan  for  a  great  educa- 
tion and  art  center  and  discussed  its  relation  to  the  city 
plan  in  general.  In  accordance  with  this  plan,  29  acres 
were  purchased  and  one  unit  in  the  group,  the  public 
library,  is  under  consideration.  This  marked  the  first  large 
public  improvement  undertaken  by  Detroit  since  the 
earliest  days  of  the  city. 

General  Plan. — Several  notable  reports  have  since  been 
published  by  the  City  Plan  and  Improvement  Commis- 
sion, setting  forth  the  results  of  studies  by  various  experts. 
The  most  important  is  that  made  by  K.  H.  Bennett,  of" 
Chicago,  on  a  comprehensive  preliminary  plan  for  thor- 
oughfares, for  the  development  of  the  riverfront,  for 
diagonal  streets  and  street  widening,  and  for  new  parks 
and  connecting  boulevards.  Of  these  studies,  the  largest 
conception  is  embodied  in  the  recommendations  for  the 
development  of  the  riverfront.  Mr.  Bennett's  scheme  has 
as  its  fundamental  feature  a  great  park  along  the  entire 
Detroit  River  as  it  borders  the  city  of  Detroit.  His  other 
recommendations  are  too  numerous  to  mention  here.  They 
are  to  be  found  in  the  report  published  by  the  City  Plan 
and  Improvement  Commission,  the  summary  of  which  is 
given  in  the  Journal  of  the  American  Institute  of  Architects 
for  June,  191  J. 

Suburbs. — One  of  the  most  instructive  and  interesting 
of  the  smaller  specialized  reports  published  by  the  City 


- .' '    i'-j'  -  ■ -•■  ■      ■■-  I- 1 '^^ 

advanced  by  Mr.  Bennett  tor  the  central  districts  into  the 

suburbs  and  provides  a  groundwork  for  the  greater  Detroit. 

Relte  Isle. — Frederick  Law  Olmsted's  contribution   to 

city  planning,  in  addition  to  that  already  referred  to  above, 

is  to  be  found  in  a  report  entitled  "Conilitions  in  Detroit — 


Detroit. — Center  o(  .^rts  and  Letters,  in  Course  of  Realiza- 
tion. 


u 


CITY   PLANNIN(t   progress 


Detroit. — Proposed  Civic  Center,  Adjacent  to  the  Focus  of 
the  City's  Chief  Arteries. 

191 5,"  which  deals  with  the  landscape  features  of  Detroit's 
beautiful  island  park  called  Belle  Isle  and  with  the  treat- 
ment of  her  boulevards  and  small  neighborhood  open  spaces. 


T.  Glenn  Phillips,  landscape  architect,  and  secretary 
ot  the  City  Plan  and  Improvement  Commission  submitted 
a  report  in  1910  on  "City  Tree  Planting,"  the  first  pub- 
lished by  the  Commission,  which  was  revised  and  again 
published  in  1914. 

The  Board  ot  Commerce,  the  Michigan  Chapter  of  the 
American  Institute  ot  Architects,  and  the  Detroit  Society 
ot  Civil  Kngineers  have  been  particularly  active  in  pushing 
the  city  planning  movement,  but  Detroit  is  more  than 
ordinarily  fortunate  in  having  a  chairman  of  its  City  Plan 
and  Improvement  Commission,  Charles  Moore,  an  honor- 
arv  member  of  the  American  Institute  ot  .'\rchitects,  whose 
name  is  associated  in  a  big  way  with  one  ot  the  outstand- 
ing achievements  in  city  planning  in  America,  viz.,  the 
work  of  the  Senate  Commission  on  the  Improvement 
of  Washington. 

Duluth 

Minnesota 

The  City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Commercial  Club 
of  Duluth  (94,495)  has  for  several  years  been  an  active 
promoter  ot  better  planning  for  the  city.  In  1916  it  was 
reorganized  as  a  committee  of  twenty-five  members  and 
divided  into  subcommittees.  This  Committee  has  pre- 
pared a  number  of  maps  of  fundamental  character  and 
has  undertaken  the  study  of  certain  pressing  problems,  the 
solution  ot  which,  as  proposed,  will,  it  is  thought,  articu- 
late properly  with  such  future  planning  as  may  be  vmder- 
taken  on  comprehensive  lines.  The  Committee  has  been 
quite  fortunate  in  establishing  a  certain  degree  of  coopera- 


ted r'-jT^^r  »    CZ7 1- 


n,*-'^ 


11-     TYPICAL    STREET    INTERSECTION   ON  STEEP  GRADIENT.      ( 

IS;   «  :      .  .  ,  J 


Courtesy  The  AmeTican  City 
Duluth. — Typical  Street  Intersection  on  Steep  Gradient  in  :i  Hilly  Cit)';  a  Scientific  Study  of  a  Basic  Street  Problen 


CITY    PLANNINCJ    PRCXJRKSS 


55 


tion  between  all  parts  ot  tlic  citv  I'V  ailoptiiii;  a  sclienie  tor 
a  cooperative  census,  in  which  chiklren  ot  the  schools  ami 
voung  people  in  the  high  school  served  as  enumerators. 
C(i>iuecling  Upper  and  Lower  Towns. — Duluth  is  a  long, 
narrow  hillside  town,  ascending  abruptly  from  the  shores 
of  the  Lake  and  Bay  of  Superior.  The  hill  on  which  the 
city  is  placed  comes  down  to  within  a  halt-mile  ot  the  bay 
front,  over  the  bold,  rocky  shoulder  that  cuts  the  city  into 
two.  On  either  side  the  slope  gradually  decreases  until 
there  is  a  gentle  acclivity  from  i  to  2  miles  wide,  in  which 
a  population  ot  fi\c  or  ten  times  the  present  proportions 


Duluth. — Plan  of  Morgan  Park,  an  Industrial  Town  of  the 
Minnesota  Steel  Company,  Showing  how  the  Housing  .Areas  are 
Separated  from  the  Factory  Location  by  Broad  Parked  .Strips. 

could  find  easy  room.  The  engineering  problem  is  to 
bridge  this  point  ot  rocks  economically.  The  highways  in 
the  central  portion  of  the  city  have  been  designed  without 
regard  to  topography  or  ease  of  communication.  VV.  B. 
Patten,  a  member  ot  the  City  Planning  Committee,  who 
was  formerly  City  Kngineer  of  Duluth,  has  planned  a 
system  of  diagonal  arterial  highways,  ascending  the  hill 
above  referred  to,  and  linking  certain  proposed  main  and 
secondary  centers  near  the  waterfront  with  the  land  lying 
some  distance  inward.  This  plan  was  published  in 
Engi}!eerii!g  News  ot  October  5,  1916. 

Union  Terminal. — The  Committee  is  also  studying  the 
terminal  problem.  Duluth  is  fortunate  in  this  respect,  in 
that  the  railroad  termmals  were,  by  the  conilitions  ot  the 
site,  necessarily  forced  into  one  area,  and   the  inadeijuacy 


of  this  area  to  accommodate  all  ot  them  in  separate  termi- 
nals made  one  joint  terminal  the  only  practical  solution. 
The  natural  contour  ot  the  grounds  at  the  point  in  question 
is  such  that  the  tracks  must  be  located  20  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  main  business  street,  so  that  Duluth  has  only 
to  run  its  streets  over  the  tracks  through  the  entire  whole- 
sale and  terminal  district.  Kventually  it  may  be  possible 
to  have  two  track-levels,  spanned  by  viaducts  in  the  cen- 
tral district. 

'I'hc  T/ans.  -Briefly  the  larger  work  outlined  by  the  city 
planners  in  Duluth  is  to  provide  an  adeipiate  street  system, 
a  comprehensive  park  system,  and  further  unification  of 
railroad  terminals.  The  leaders  in  the  City  Planning  Com- 
mittee of  the  Commercial  Club  arc  Francis  \V.  Sullivan, 
Chairman,  W.  B.  Patten,  former  City  Kngineer,  and  J.  S. 
Pardee,  assistant  secretary  of  the  Commercial  Club. 

Housing. — Reference  to  Duluth's  accomplishments 
would  not  be  complete  without  mention  of  the  new 
industrial  town  called  Morgan  Park,  laid  out  in  1911;  for 
the  Minnesota  Steel  Company,  a  subsidiary  organization 
ot  the  United  States  Steel  Corporation.  This  development 
is  described  in  T/ie  .imcrican  City  magazine  tor  February, 
1916. 

Durham 

North  Carolina 

\  campaign  for  city  planning  was  recently  opened  in 
Durham  (25,061).  On  October  5,  1916,  the  Housing  Com- 
nuttee  ot  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  organized;  on 
January  15,  the  Board  ot  ."Aldermen  appointed  a  committee 
to  consider  the  employment  ot  a  city  planner,  and  on 
January  17,  1917,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  appointed  a 
City  Planning  Committee.  W.  J.  Griswold  is  chairman  of 
the  first  ot  these  committees,  M.  F'..  Newson,  Jr.,  is  chair- 
man of  the  .'Mdermanic  Committee,  and  T.  B.  Fuller  is 
chairman  of  the  City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Chamber 
ot  Commerce.  No  special  ordinances  have  been  enacteti, 
and  no  funds  appropriated  up  to  this  time.  John  \olen, 
of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  addressed  a  meeting  of  interested 
citizens  in  February  of  this  year. 

Housing. — Hill  C.  Linthicum  and  H.  Colvin  I.inthi- 
cum,  architects,  have  furnished  plans  and  specifications 
for  moderate-priced  homes,  which  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce is  distributing.  Recently  the  latter  organization 
has  offered  a  prize  to  architects  in  North  Carolina  for  plans 
and  specifications  tor  moderate-priced  homes,  the  archi 
tects  serving  as  a  jury  with  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce.    Designs  are  to  be  in  by  the  first  ot  .April,  1917. 

Other  Pia>:s. — .A  number  of  people  in  Durham  are  urg- 
ing the  adoption  of  zoning  measures  which  will  restrict 
inciustrial  plants  to  specific  areas.  Durham  is  also  making 
a  serious  effort  to  improve  her  park  and  playground  system 
which  at  the  present  time  does  not  conform  to  the  better 
standards  set  by  some  other  cities  ot  the  same  size.  .At  the 
present  time  a  charter  amendment  is  being  pushed  which 
will  permit  comprehensive  street  improvements  involving 
an  expenditure  of  over  Jl, 500,000.  For  this  work,  com- 
petent expert  advice  is  being  sought,  anti  it  is  more  than 
likely  that  a  city  planner  and  traffic  expert  will  be  employed 
sometime  soon. 


S6 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


East  Orange 

New  Jersey 

The  City  Planning  Commission  ot  East  Orange  (42,458) 
was  appointed  early  in  1916,  under  the  New  Jersey  Act 
(Laws  of  New  Jersey  1913,  Chap.  72).  Col.  George  P. 
Olcott  is  chairman  of  the  Commission.  In  September, 
1916,  George  B.  Ford  and  E.  P.  Goodrich,  of  New  York 
City,  were  engaged  to  make  a  preliminary  survey  on  which 
to  base  a  comprehensive  city  plan. 

History. — Prior  to  i860,  East  Orange  was  a  part  of  the 
town  of  Orange,  but,  at  that  time,  disagreement  over  taxa- 
tion matters  and  municipal  policy  arose  among  the  people 
ot  Orange,  and  three  large  sections  of  outlying  territory 
separated  from  the  old  town  and  organized  themselves 
into  separate  political  units,  now  known  as  South  Orange, 
East  Orange,  and  West  Orange.  When  East  Orange  with- 
drew from  Orange  to  he  a  city  with  independent  govern- 
ment, she  took  4  square  miles  ot  rolling  meadow  land, 
stretching  the  length  of  Orange  and  away  to  the  Newark 
border.  In  this  section  the  old  roads  and  streets  were 
already  built  with  comfortable  and  often  luxurious  home- 
steads, set  in  the  midst  of  spacious  gardens  and  well-kept 
lawns.  Many  of  these  houses  are  still  the  landmarks  of 
the  older  town  and  lend  what  distinction  there  is  to  the 
modern  citv. 

The  Problem. — The  population  of  East  Orange,  at  the 
time  ot  its  separation,  in   1863,  was  about  3,000  chiefly 


East  Orange. — Entrance  to  Municipal  Playground. 
The  area  in  the  foreground  was  a  swamp  when  purchased  in 
1907. 


well-to-do  or  wealthy  families  identified  with  the  early 
growth  ot  the  community.  From  that  time  to  the  present 
its  growth  in  newcomers  has  been  rapid  and  steady,  until 
its  newly  built-up  rows  of  single  and  two-family  houses, 
apartments  and  tenements,  stretch  in  more  or  less  com- 
pactly built  areas  to  the  Newark  borders.  Its  population 
today  is  nearly  43,000,  largely  made  up  ot  commuters  to 
New  York  and  Newark.  There  is  probably  no  suburb  of  a 
large  city  where  families  ot  moderate  income  can  find  a 
wider  choice  of  comfortable  and  convenient  small  homes 
with  air,  sunshine,  and  adequate  elbow-room.  The  growth 
of  the  town,  however,  has  been  so  rapid  and  its  natural 
development  so  seemingly  prosperous  that  certain  unfor- 
seen  dangers  have  been  allowed  to  develop  into  condi- 
tions really  serious  from  the  standpoint  of  the  permanent 
prosperity  and  health  ot  the  city.  No  precaution  has 
been  taken  to  reserve  sufficient  park  space  tor  present  en- 
joyment or  tor  future  need,  or  to  restrict  the  encroachment 
ot  speculative  building  in  districts  in  which  handsome 
residences,  demanding  space  and  privacy,  prevail.  Much 
ot  the  speculative  building,  while  doubtless  of  sanitary 
excellence,  has  little  architectural  charm  or  individuality 
and  is  bound  to  depreciate  surrounding  property  values. 
Moreover,  in  a  community  where  the  possibility  ot  housing 
its  people  in  individual  homes  is  nowhere  nearly  exhausted, 
it  is  shortsighted  to  allow  the  rapid  construction  of  tene- 
ments which  can  only  be  a  menace  to  the  city's  future 
social  health.  East  Orange  at  present  has  369  congregate 
houses.  A  certain  number  of  these  on  the  better  streets 
may  now  be  classed  as  higher  grade  apartment  houses, 
but  many  of  these  are  so  flimsily  built  that  they  must  in  a 
few  years  deteriorate  to  cheaper  and  less  fastidious  use. 

A  Report  on  Housing  Conditions  in  the  Oranges,  cov- 
ering some  of  the  matters  referred  to  above,  was  made 
and  submitted  in  1915  by  Edith  Rockwell  Hall,  Field 
Secretary  of  the  Civic  Committee  of  the  Woman's  Club 
ot  Orange,  New  Jersey.  The  Report  calls  attention  to  the 
growmg  Italian  district  in  the  Elm  wood  section  of  East 
Orange  as  a  section  likely  to  develop  slum  conditions. 
The  Report  urges  the  appointment  of  a  permanent  housing 
committee  for  all  of  the  Oranges,  the  functions  of  such 
committee  being  to  secure  better  living  conditions  in  the 
community,  to  arouse  interest  in  securing  a  comprehensive 
city  plan  upon  which  to  base  a  harmonious  development  of 
the  whole  community,  looking  ahead  to  the  needed  reserva- 
tion of  park  spaces,  necessary  building  restrictions  for 
given  areas,  extension  of  transportation  facilities,  creation 
of  community  centers,  and  the  like. 

The  Survey. — In  taking  up  their  work  for  the  City  Plan- 
ning Commission,  in  191 6,  Messrs.  Ford  and  Goodrich 
made  a  pedestrian  survey  covering  practically  all  ot  the 
streets  of  the  city.  They  conducted  their  work  on  the 
principle  that  if  a  man  is  going  to  make  recommenda- 
tions about  the  way  a  city  ought  to  go,  the  obvious  thing 
to  do  is  to  know  the  town  and  to  know  it  thoroughly. 
Their  observations  were  noted  in  the  field.  Special  study 
was  made  of  the  traffic  on  the  main  street  and  around  the 
principal  railroad  station.  They  made  also  a  careful 
investigation  of  sites  for  a  new  city  hall,  with  estimates  of 
what  each  possible  solution  would  cost.  They  have  given 
attention  to  the  elimination  of  grade  crossings  on  the  two 


CITY   PLANNING    PROCURESS 


57 


USE  OF  PROPERTY 

HViT  OltvVCE 


East  Orange. — Fundamental  Data  for  City  Planning;  Use  East  Orange. — Fundamental    Data   for   City    Planning,   of 

of  Property  Maps,  of  Special  Value  in   Devising   a    Districting       Special  Value  in  Studying  Improvements  in  Thoroughfare  System. 
Plan.  Street  widths  of  over  50  feet  are  shown  in  hiack. 


railroad  lines  serving  the  city  and  the  better  handling  of 
street  details  and  street  lighting;  to  the  rounding  out  and 
extension  ot  the  parks  and  playgrounds;  to  the  prevention 
ot  unsanitary  conditions  and  the  correction  ot  existing 
housing  evils;  to  the  possibility  of  restricting  the  use  of 
property  by  zoning  and  along  the  lines  which  are  proving 
so  popular  in  New  York  City-  In  short,  their  program  of 
work  was  framed,  not  with  a  view  to  making  a  number  ot 
recommendations  tor  the  spending  ot  large  sums,  with  a 
consequent  increase  in  the  tax  rate,  but  rather  to  deter- 
mine how  the  city  might  possibly  spend  to  better  advan- 
tage the  sums  which  are  raised  each  year  tor  municipal 
improvements.  Their  whole  scheme  of  work  at  the  present 
is  toward  the  preparation  ot  a  preliminary  report — a  form 
ot  stock-taking — so  the  citizens  of  East  Orange  can  see 
where  their  community  stands  in  respect  to  city  planning, 
as  compared  with  other  towns  of  about  the  same  size.  The 
detailed  recommendations  for  actual  improvements  will 
come  later. 

Data  Maps. — In  presenting  the  data  which  thev  have 
collected,  a  number  of  large-scale  maps  have  been  pre- 
pared, made  so  as  to  be  easily  reproduced  in  newspapers 
and  magazines.  On  one  map  they  are  showing  all  the  street 
grades  that  are  over  5  per  cent.  This  intormation  is  of 
value  in  the  determination  of  a  system  of  north  and  south 
thoroughfares.  On  another  map  they  are  showing  the 
street  developments  so  that,  in  working  out  suggestions 
for   thoroughfares,   advantage  can    be   taken   ot   the   best 


paved  streets.  On  another  map  they  are  showing  by  heavy 
black  lines  all  streets  with  a  width  ot  over  50  teet.  On 
another  map  they  have  indicatetl  (with  one  dot  tor  every 
twenty-five  people)  the  distribution  ot  population.  This  is 
of  value  in  ascertaining  the  possibilities  of  spreading  the 
population  and  in  determining  the  need  of  transit  lines 
and  the  like.  Another  map  shows  the  through  automobile, 
trucking,  and  transit  routes.  These  show,  graphically, 
how  circuitous  are  the  routes  some  of  the  traffic  must  take. 
On  another  map  they  are  showing  freight  facilities  from 
which  one  can,  by  comparing  with  the  intormation  that 
other  maps  contain,  iletermine  whether  the  freight  ter- 
minals are  conveniently  located.  On  another  map  they  are 
showing  the  characteristics  ot  the  use  ot  property;  on 
another,  the  height  of  buildings;  on  .still  another,  the  pro- 
portion of  lot  which  the  buildings  occupy;  and  on  another, 
the  character  of  building  material  used.  Many  of  the 
last-mentioned  maps  are  essential  to  any  plan  tor  dis- 
tricting or  zoning  the  city.  The  whole  report  will  be  pub- 
lished by  the  Commission  during  May  or  June,  1917. 

East  St.  Louis 

Illinois 

The  term  "east  side"  has  become  almost  synony- 
mous with  social  and  civic  problems.  St.  Louis  applies 
the  term  to  the  string  of  towns  sprawled  along  the  opposite 


58 


CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


bank  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  it  is  appropriate  in  its 
civic  as  well  as  its  geographical  connection.*  These  Illinois 
towns  are  linked  to  the  larger  city  by  four  big  coupling- 
pins — the  bridges  across  the  broad,  brown  Mississippi. 
Directly  facing  St.  Louis,  and  as  close  to  the  river  bank 
as  a  network  of  railway  terminals  will  permit,  is  an 
agglomeration  of  business  buildings,  dwellings,  and 
industrial  plants.  This  is  East  St.  Louis  (74,078),  linked 
to  the  city  proper  by  two  bridges  on  its  northern  edge. 

Essential  Social  and  Civic  Unity  Should  Be  Recognized. — 
East  St.  Louis  and  her  neighboring  towns  are  "out  in  the 
cold,"  so  far  as  the  civic  plan  and  social  progress  of  St. 
Louis  are  concerned.  Of  course  there  is  little  initiative  on 
the  part  of  these  communities  to  "join  in,"  and  the 
inspiration  which  St.  Louis  extends  to  its  western  suburbs 
— identified  with  it  in  the  same  county  and  state  govern- 
ments— is  entirely  lacking  in  its  relation  to  the  east-side 
towns,  whose  volume  of  business  and  industrial  output 
nevertheless  it  now  claims  as  swelling  the  greatness  of  the 
St.  Louis  district.  Naturally,  the  broad  river  and  the 
state  boundaries  break  the  identity  of  interests  depend- 
ing upon  state,  county,  or  municipal  legislation.  It  is 
easy,  therefore,  to  understand  why  a  city  plan  for  St. 
Louis  and  its  environs  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  region 
across  the  river,  although  it  does  not  fail  to  present 
detailed  schemes  tor  the  growth  and  improvement  ot 
areas  much  farther  distant  on  the  western  side.  Yet 
arbitrary  governmental  boundaries  of  political  units 
almost  fade  out  in  our  modern  conception  of  the  "indus- 
trial district"  or  "metropolitan  area"  and  its  develop- 
ment as  a  whole.  The  essential  social  and  civic  unity  of 
the  same  district  should  similarly  be  recognized.  Much 
might  be  gained  through  cooperating  and  coordinating 
action  on  the  part  of  the  several  governmental  authorities 
having  jurisdiction  in  such  a  "district,"  and  on  the  part 
of  the  volunteer  social  and  civic  agencies  concerned. 

Comprehensive  Park  Plans. — While  East  St.  Louis 
could  gain  by  working  with  the  bigger  city  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river  on  large  problems  of  civic  improvement, 
she  has  shown  surprising  foresight  and  determination  to 
grapple  with  her  own  civic  problems  in  an  intelligent 
way  by  engaging  Geo.  E.  Kessler,  of  St.  Louis,  to  prepare 
comprehensive  plans  for  a  park  and  recreation  system. 

Elizabeth 

New  Jersey 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Elizabeth  (86,690),  of 
which  Vance  C.  Roberts  is  secretary,  is  at  the  present  time 
advocating  the  appointment  of  a  city  planning  commis- 
sion by  the  Mayor.  It  is  probable  that  the  appointmer.t 
will  be  made  in  the  near  future.  The  Chamber  is  also  tak- 
ing up  the  housing  problem  with  a  view  to  securing  needed 
homes  for  employees  ot  industrial  plants  in  Elizabeth. 
The  study  and  improvement  of  existing  housing  condi- 
tions is  in  the  hands  of  a  standing  committee  of  the 
Charity  Organization  Society,  organized  in  1914.  No 
funds  have  been  provided  for  the  committee,  and  no 
definite  policy  is  being  pursued  at  the  present  time. 

Recreation  is  in  charge  of  an  official  commission,  of 

*See  "Satellite  Cities,"  by  Graham  R.  Taylor,  D.  .^ppleton  & 
Company,  1915. 


which  Mr.  Otis  is  secretary.  The  Board  of  Public  Works 
ha.s  within  their  jurisdiction  the  park  and  boulevard  sys- 
tem. Funds  for  its  development  are  furnished  by  the  city 
administration.  No  public  markets  have  yet  been  erected, 
but  the  Housewives'  League,  in  cooperation  with  the 
Bureau  ot  Markets  of  the  State  ."Agricultural  Depart- 
ment, is  planning  to  inaugurate  such  a  market  in  the  near 
future.  The  adjustment  ot  railroad  facilities,  the  improve- 
ment of  the  waterfront,  and  the  execution  of  street  im- 
provement are  in  the  hands  ot  the  Board  of  Public  Works. 
The  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  city  administration 
are  actively  engaged  in  securing  better  and  more  conven- 
ient trolley  transportation  service.  .\  civic  center  plan  is 
being  jointly  studied  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and 
the  city  administration. 

Elgin 

Illinois 

Early  in  1916  the  Elgin  Commercial  Club  of  Elgin 
(28,203)  secured  the  services  of  E.  H.  Bennett,  of  Chicago, 
to  make  a  comprehensive  survey  and  plan  for  the  city. 


ron      RIVER 


Elgin. — The  Two  Dominant  Features  of  the  New  City  Plan 
are  the  Treatment  of  the  River  Banks  and  the  Reorganization 
and  Simplification  of  the  Railroad  Lines. 


eil'V    IM.ANNINC;    PROCiRKSS 


59 


This  action  was  miulc  piissihlc  tliroiigli  the  gcncrositv  ot 
Charles  I-.  Hiillnird,  presiiicnt  ot  the  Klgin  National 
Watch  Conipanv.  Mr.  Bennett  presented  his  phin  in  the 
latter  part  of  191 6,  and  immediately  an  unofficial  Citv 
Plan  Commission,  composed  ot  eleven  working  groups, 
was  organized.  F.ach  group  consisted  ot  a  committee 
charged  with  the  solution  ot  one  ot  the  several  problems 
given  consideration  in  the  report  ot  Mr.  Bennett.  The  Citv 
Planning  Commission,  composed  ot  more  than  100  repre- 
sentative men  and  women,  is  hacked  up  in  all  ot  its  work  hv 
the  Elgin  Commercial  Club,  through  whom  the  Commis- 
sion came  into  existence.  Large  public  gatherings  have 
been  addressed,  and  slides  ot  the  tirawings  are  being 
screened  in  the  moving-picture  theatres.  .A  very  attractive 
booklet  ot  titty  pages  has  been  published,  giving  the 
iletails  ot  the  plan,  and  this  is  being  used  by  the  Committee 
on  Publicity  in  bringing  the  recommendations  to  the  peo- 
ple ot  Klgin. 

Commission  .-/i/visory  Only. — .As  the  state  ot  Ilhnois 
has  no  city  planning  legislation  authorizing  the  appoint- 
ment ot  a  citv  planning  commission,  or  in  anv  other  wav 
aiding  city  planning  movements,  the  Klgin  Commercial 
Club  is  making  the  plan  ot  Klgin  the  people's  move- 
ment and  is  appealing  to  community  interests  to  carry  out 
the  features  ot  the  plan.  .An  effort  is  being  made  to  secure 
the  cooperation  of  the  City  Commissioners,  the  railroads, 
the  interurban  lines,  and  the  people  generallv  in  the  execu- 
tion ot  the  plan. 

The-  Plans. — The   plan   ol    Klgin  makes  no  attempt  to 


|iaint  a  tuture  ol  cxtraoniinary  development  but  deals 
with  normal  contlitions  ot  growth  and  considerations  of 
fineness  and  real  worth,  rather  than  mere  size.  The  two 
dominant  features  of  the  plan  are  the  treatment  of  the 
river  banks  and  the  reorganization  and  simplification  of 
the  railroad  lines.  Taken  together,  they  present  a  great 
opportunity  for  Klgin  to  set  a  standard  of  improvement 
and  to  remove  from  its  future  the  menace  of  intolerable 
conilitions  prevalent  in  cities  of  larger  size.  The  control 
ot  inilustrial  development  by  districting,  the  establish- 
ment ot  a  civic  center  on  the  heights  overlooking  the 
river,  the  cutting  and  extension  of  streets  in  a  moilerate 
degree,  the  building  ot  new  briilges,  and  the  rounding  out 
of  the  park  and  playground  systems  are  briefly  treated. 

Flmira 

New  ^'ork 

■A  City  Planning  Commission  was  organized  in  Klmira 
(.58,121)  on  .August  I,  1916,  uniier  the  New  York  law  for 
second-class  cities  (Chap.  699,  Laws  of  191,'?).  Funds  have 
been  provided  by  the  city  tor  organization  purposes,  and 
the  city  authorities  have  expressed  their  intention  of  mak- 
ing ample  provision  for  the  future  work  of  the  Commission 
as  it  develops.  .A  bill  enlarging  the  area  over  which  the 
Commission  will  have  jurisdiction  is  now  before  the  legis- 
lature. This  will  give  the  Conmiission  control  over  ter- 
ritory lying  _5  miles  beyond  the  citv  limits. 


Ki.MiRA. — Korick's  Glen  Hark,  the  Center  of  the  City's  Outdoor  Recreational  Life. 
To  make  tuture  provision  lor  such  features  of  community  life  and  to  broaden  all  lines  of  the  city's  development, 
mission  has  Just  been  appointed  anil  is  about  to  draft  a  comprehensive  plan. 


I'lanninjj  Com- 


6o 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Recreation. — Elniira  has  seven  parks,  with  an  area  ot 
loo  acres,  paid  tor  by  public  funds,  with  one  exception. 
Playgrounds  were  developed  in  schoolyards  in  four  of  the 
city  schools  in  the  past  year,  and  they  are  in  charge  ot  a 
supervisor.  .A  17-acre  plot  has  recently  been  purchased  for 
an  athletic  field,  to  be  used  by  pupils  of  the  high  and 
grammar  schools  ot  the  city.  The  Rotary  Club  has  under- 
taken to  provide  skating-ponds  and  rinks  in  the  public 
parks  and  upon  the  river. 

Other  Improvements. — The  Chamber  ot  Commerce, 
which  has  supported  the  movement  for  city  planning,  has 
recently,  through  its  Home  Building  Corporation,  laid 
out  a  plot  of  150  lots  and  has  erected  fifty  houses  with  all 
modern  conveniences.  Immediately  adjacent  to  this 
housing  development,  a  park  ot  20  acres  has  been  donated. 
The  plans  tor  the  development  of  this  area,  which  are 
about  to  be  carried  out,  provide  tor  a  boulevard  a  mile  in 
length,  surrounding  a  lake — the  chief  feature  of  the  site. 
No  definite  plan  for  a  civic  center  has  been  devised.  All 
ot  the  public  buildings  are  located  within  an  area  cover- 
ing three  blocks.  A  building  code  has  been  prepared  and 
submitted  to  the  Common  Council,  and  its  adoption  is 
pending. 

Philip  E.  Lonergan  is  secretary  of  the  City  Planning 
Commission.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Mayor, 
Harry  M.  Hoffman,  and  J.  H.  Pierce,  fellow  of  the 
American  Institute  of  .'\rchitects,  have  actively  sup- 
ported city  planning. 

El  Paso 

Texas 

Promotional  work  tor  city  planning  in  El  Paso  (63,705) 
has  been  largely  in  the  hands  ot  an  organization  known  as 
the  Civic  Improvement  League,  organized,  but  not 
incorporated,  in  1906,  and  supported  by  private  subscrip- 
tions.   Agitation  by  the  League  tor  the  parking  ot  streets 


,    t>. 


El  Paso. — Residence  Street  Parking. 

was  so  successful  that  efforts  were  directed  to  securing  an 
increase  in  the  number  ot  neighborhood  play-places  and 
breathing-spots.  This  resulted  in  the-city's  acquiring  a 
number  of  such  places  in  districts  formerly  unsupplied. 
The  Civic  Improvement  League  now  has  in  mind  the  con- 
version of  several  miles  ot  the  riverfront,  used  for  com- 
mercial purposes,  into  a  public  recreation  park.  There 
are  now  fourteen  parks  within  the  city  limits,  having  a 
total  area  of  143  acres,  paid  tor  by  assessment  on  abutting 
property.  This  is,  however,  much  too  small  a  park  area  for 
a  city  of  this  size.  The  city  has  12  miles  of  park  streets, 
and  agitation  is  now  on  tor  the  construction  ot  a  boulevard 
around  the  rim  of  a  high  mesa  to  the  northward  of,  and 
overlooking,  the  city.  If  this  proposal  is  carried  through. 
El  Paso  will  possess  one  of  the  most  attractive  scenic 
driveways  in  America. 

Railroads. — One  of  the  most  pressing  problems  today 
is  the  removal  ot  the  railroads  from  the  heart  ot  the  city. 
El  Paso  is  practically  divided  into  two  sections  by  these. 
So  far,  the  only  result  of  attempts  to  improve  the  situa- 
tion has  been  an  offer  by  the  railroad  to  remove  the  grade 
crossings  along  this  portion  ot  their  lines. 

Streets. — Housing,  community  work,  improvement  of 
transit  lines,  and  other  phases  of  city  planning  are  receiv- 


V 


EMMETSBVRC- IO«',-.-ClT;''-PLAN 

«  i.v.EROVEMEfjr  Cf  L"J;l  ..'hore  <3f  IJL^WDJ 

C1T.1-     Pl_ArJlNE.R.J 


Emmetsburg. — Portion  of  City  Plan  Showing  Park  Treatment  about  thciLake. 


Crr^     IM.ANNING    PRCXJRKSS 


6i 


ing  some  attention.  One  ot  the  projects  in  which  the  citi- 
zens are  most  interested  is  the  extension  ot  Oregon  Street 
ami  the  principal  business  streets  of  the  city  into  Juarez, 
Mex.,  over  an  ornamental  international  britige. 

The  architects  in  the  city  have  had  much  to  do  in  creat- 
ing favorable  public  sentiment  for  civic  improvements 
and  city  planning.  A  number  ot  them  have  already  sub- 
mitted plans,  more  or  less  comprehensive  in  character, 
tor  large  areas  in  the  city.  P.dward  Kneezell,  a  member 
ot  the  .American  Institute  of  .Architects,  is  prominentlv 
identified  with  this  work. 

l^mmctshuro; 

Iowa 

Emmetsburg,  a  city  in  Iowa  ot  less  than  j,ooo  popu- 
lation, atfords  an  unusual  illustration  of  the  value  of  town 
planning  for  the  smaller  communities.  There  the  move- 
ment had  its  inception  at  a  meeting  ot  the  Emmetsburg 
Commercial  Club,  in  February,  1914,  when  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  devise  a  plan  tor  future  action.  .After  an 
active  campaign  this  Committee  raised,  among  the  vari- 
ous boards  and  organizations  in  the  city,  funds  sufficient 
to  employ  advisers.  The  City  Council,  in  May,  1914, 
passed  an  ordinance  creating  the  Emmetsburg  City  Plan 
Commission.  Ray  Floyd  Weirick,  landscape  architect, 
and  Sawyer  and  Watrous,  architects,  all  of  Des  Moines, 
were  appointed  to  prepare  the  town  plan.  .A  survey  of  the 
town  was  made,  and  atter  a  careful  study  of  local  condi- 
tions, plans  were  preparetl  by  the  advisers  and  officially 
adopted.    The  new  plan  contemplates  improvements  cov- 


ering a  period  of  tifty  years.  The  plan  gives  special  con- 
sideration to  the  creation  ot  civic,  recreation,  anil  educa- 
tional centers,  ami  to  the  development  of  a  lakefront  park. 
Results. — Many  of  the  proposals  have  already  been 
carried  our,  and  others,  requiring  more  time  to  complete, 
have  been  begun  under  the  most  auspicious  circumstances. 
The  entire  enterprise  stands  as  a  most  inspiring  example 
of  what  the  small  town  ami  village  can  do  in  the  way 
ot  initiating  town  planning  ami  carrying  it  to  a  successful 
issue. 

Kric 

Pennsylvania 

Plans  tor  the  extension  and  improvement  of  Erie 
(75>79**)  were  prepared  in  1913  for  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce and  Board  ot  Trade.  Those  portions  of  the  plan 
having  to  do  with  the  street  system,  the  railroads,  water- 
front, building  development,  ami  open  spaces  were  drafted 
by  John  Nolen,  ot  Cambridge,  Mass.;  with  street  trans- 
portation facilities,  by  E.  P.  Goodrich,  of  New  York, 
assisted  by  V.  \'an  Z.  Lane;  and  with  the  development  of 
commerce  in  Erie  by  Henry  C.  Eong,  of  Boston.  The 
legal  aspects  ot  the  plan  were  presentetl  by  a  subcommittee 
ot  the  City  Planning  Committee.  .About  :?5,ooo  was  con- 
tributed by  what  is  now  the  Board  of  Commerce  and  by 
various  private  citizens  for  the  preparation  of  the  plans  and 
the  report  thereon.  The  publication  of  the  report  occurred 
simultaneously  with  the  appointment  of  the  official  City 
Planning  Commission  (under  provisions  of  the  law  for 
third  class  cities  signed  by  the  (iovernor  on  July  i^, 
1913).    Ill  attempting  to  accomplish  results  along  the  lines 


Courtesy  The  AjneTicaii  Cilx 

Erie.— General  Plan  (if  191 4,  .Showint;  Frciposeii  Park  System  (shaded)  ami   Thdroughfares  and  P.irkvv.iys. 
The  original  street  plan  of  Erie  was  made  in  1 795  by  .Andrew  Kllicott,  the  man  who  completed  the  plan  of  Washington,  D.  C,  on 
the  designs  of  L'Enfant. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


outlined  in  the  report,  friction  arose  between  the  city 
government  and  the  Citv  Planning  Commission,  particu- 
larly when  efforts  were  made  by  the  local  friends  of  city 
planning  to  have  a  bill  passed  in  the  state  legislature  mak- 
ing mandatory  the  assignment  to  the  Planning  Commis- 
sion, of  a  small  annual  assessment  on  the  city's  taxable 
values,  thus  giving  larger  opportunities  to  cities  of  the 
third  class  to  carry  on  their  investigations.  The  official 
commission  resigned  in  1915,  but  efforts  are  again  being 
made  by  members  of  the  Board  of  Commerce  to  put  city 
planning  on  a  stable  footing  in  the  city.  The  influence  of 
the  National  Citv  Planning  Conference  has  been  a  factor 
in  this  new  movement. 

Housing  and  Parks. — Some  industrial  housing  work 
has  been  accomplished  bv  the  General  Electric  Company 
of  Erie.  The  existing  housing  laws,  however,  are  out  of 
date.  Erie  has  now  but  a  meager  provision  of  open  spaces, 
even  for  its  present  population. 

Engineering  JVork. — In  transit  and  transportation, 
plans  for  a  new  union  station  are  under  way  and  grade 
crossing  elimination  is  now  being  carried  out.  One  public 
dock  was  constructed  several  years  ago  to  take  advantage 
of  a  wonderful  bay  and  waterfront  which  has  never  been 
adequately  developed.  A  Si, 000,000  project  was  started 
late  in  1916  for  lifting  the  flood  menace  from  Mill  Creek. 
The  plans,  which  are  now  well  under  way,  provide  for  the 
carriage  of  the  waters  of  the  creek  in  a  concrete  conduit  ; 
miles  long. 

Good  Original  Plan. — The  original  street  plan  of  Erie 
was  made  in  1795  by  Andrew  EUicott,  the  first  Surveyor 
General  of  the  United  States  and  the  man  who  com- 
pleted the  city  of  Washington  on  the  designs  of  L'Enfant. 
The  streets  in  the  portion  of  the  city  laid  out  according  to 
his  plan  are  platted  on  a  rectangular  system.  They  are 
generally  of  good  width,  the  principal  thoroughfares  being 
100  feet  wide  and  the  majority  of  other  streets  60  feet  wide. 
.AH  streets  run  either  parallel  with  or  at  right  angles  to  the 
lake  shore.  The  blocks  are  about  3J0  feet  by  660  feet. 
Notwithstanding  Ellicott's  familiarity  with  the  plan  of 
Washington,  no  radial  or  diagonal  streets  were  included  in 
the  original  city  plan.  The  streets  are  most  numerous  in 
the  direction  in  which  traffic  is  greatest.  Beyond  the 
limits  of  the  original  city,  control  of  the  location  and 
width  of  streets  has  not  yet  been  exercised  in  the  interest 
of  a  good  plan.  The  serious  evils  of  this  lack  of  control 
are  already  apparent. 

Evanston 

Illinois 

.\  comprehensive  city  plan  has  now  been  made  for 
Evanston  (28,591)  and  was  published  in  March,  1917. 
This  plan  is  a  work  of  the  City  Plan  Committee  of  the 
Small  Parks  and  Playgrounds  Commission  of  Evanston, 
Illinois.  The  Committee  was  appointed  in  the  spring  of 
1 91 6  and  has  been  working  for  the  past  year  on  the  plans. 
They  include  a  complete  playground,  park,  and  boulevard 
system  and  provide  for  adequate  railroad  station  build- 
ings and  approaches,  bridges,  waterfront  development 
(with  lagoons  and  pleasure  harbor),  street  widening  and 
extension,  the  platting  of  new  districts  and  a  civic  center. 


The  report  has  been  presented  to  the  City  Council  of 
Evanston  for  its  adoption  and  will  be  widely  distributed 
locally.  The  work  has  been  supported  by  a  private  sub- 
scription. Messrs.  D.  H.  Burnham  II,  Hubert  Burnham, 
Thomas  E.  Tallmadge,  and  Dwight  H.  Perkins,  members  of 
the  .American  Institute  of  .Architects,  have  given  profes- 
sional advice  and  assistance  in  the  preparation  of 
the  report. 

Evansville 

Indiana 

Housing  reform,  under  the  able  leadership  of  Mrs. 
.Albion  Fellows  Bacon,  is  the  subject  of  the  outstanding 
civic  advance  in  Evansville  (76,078)  in  recent  years.  Mrs. 
Bacon  has  not  limited  her  activities  to  her  own  town  but 
has  waged  a  campaign  for  housing  reform  throughout  the 
state,  and  it  was  largely  through  her  energy-  and  enthu- 
siasm that  the  present  Indiana  State  Tenement  House 
Law  was  put  on  the  books.  The  law  is  well  enforced,  and 
health  officers  now  have  control  of  all  dangerous  and 
unsanitary  dwellings.  In  Evansville,  since  these  laws  were 
put  into  effect,  300  old  houses  have  been  torn  down  and 
streets  are  being  cut  through  the  old  rundown  sections  of 
the  town,  chiefly  where  the  negro  quarters  are  located  and 
where  the  streets  and  alleys  run  into  dead  ends  and  pockets. 

General  City  Planning. — However,  city  planning, 
strictly  speaking,  has  never  received  any  general  atten- 
tion. Furthermore,  in  March,  191 7,  with  the  defeat  of  a 
bill  introduced  into  the  state  legislature,  providing  for  the 
appointment  of  planning  commissions  in  cities  and  towns, 
city  planning  has  received  a  serious  setback.  The  forward 
movement  has  begun,  however,  and  there  is  a  strong  pre- 
sumption that  the  bill  will  pass  the  legislature  at  its  next 
session  in  1919. 

Subdivisions. — Forest  Hills,  a  restricted  residence  dis- 
trict, is  the  most  interesting  example  of  a  local  development 
with  town  planning  interest.  Roads  have  been  adapted  to 
the  contour  of  the  land,  and  much  of  the  wooded  land 
in  the  site  reserved  for  park  spaces. 

Parks. — There  is  a  large  stadium,  the  largest  in  that 
section  of  the  country.  It  is  located  in  a  public  park  which 
is  also  provided  with  recreational  facilities,  such  as  wading- 
and  swimming-pools.  Another  park  along  the  riverfront, 
called  Mesper  Park,  a  beautiful  oak  forest,  is  being  care- 
fully improved,  and  in  the  center  of  the  city  is  another 
attractive  open  space.  Bayard's  Park.  .An  Art  League,  now 
in  its  infancy,  is  laying  out  a  program  for  the  improvement 
of  details  of  the  existing  plan.  The  parks  are  in  charge  of 
the  Park  Board,  of  which  Gilmore  Haynie  is  president. 

Everett 

Massachusetts 

The  Planning  Board  of  Everett  (39,233)  (appointed 
under  Chap.  494  of  Massachusetts  Acts  of  1913)  has  found 
its  chief  opportunity  for  service  in  educating  the  public  in 
city  planning.  In  this  effort  it  has  laid  special  stress  on 
work  among  the  school  children.  John  Nolen,  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  has  lectured  on  city  planning,  at  the  request 
of  the  Board,  before  interested  people  in  the  city. 


CITY    PLANNING    PROGRESS 


63 


Teihuiciil  IVork.  -The  Board's  technical  work  has 
included  the  collection  of  data  on  unsanitary  conditions 
in  tenement  or  rundown  districts  and  on  the  distribution 
of  open  spaces  and  unused  areas.  It  has  made  recom- 
mendations covering  the  planting  of  street  trees,  the 
redemption  of  disease-breeding  spots,  the  control  ot  un- 
sightly billboard  advertising,  and  the  provision  ot  more 
ample  facilities  tor  recreation.  It  has  consulted  with  the 
officials  ot  the  Boston  i!>:  Maine  Railroad  in  an  endeavor 
to  secure  their  cooperation  in  improving  conditions  at  the 
railroad  station  fronting  on  the  city's  chief  thoroughfare. 

Fall  River 

Massachusetts 

No  work  on  comprehensive  city  planning  has  yet  been 
attempted  in  Fall  River  (i28,.^66).  In  1912  ".\  Survey 
of  Housing  Conditions  m  Fall  River"  was  published.  The 
Committee  in  charge  ot  this  survey  stated  that  its  desire 
was  to  ascertain  general  conditions  rather  than  to  find 
startling  abuses.  The  Committee  therefore  studied  sec- 
tions rather  than  houses  and  recorded  both  sanitary  and 
unsanitary  conditions,  basing  its  conclusions  upon  aver- 
ages and  not  what  might  be  found  in  individual  dwellings. 
The  areas  covered  by  this  report  contained  houses  in 
which  less  than  5  per  cent  of  the  entire  population  lived. 
Some  activity  followed  the  publication  of  the  housing 
activities  report,  and  some  ot  the  worst  conditions  were 
improved. 

River  PoUulion  and  Industrial  Problems. — TheQueque- 
chan  River,  along  which  many  mills  in  Fall  River  are 
located,  has  been  allowed  to  decline  to  such  a  condition 
that  the  mills  can  make  only  partial  use  of  the  river  and 
of  the  great  storage  capacity  of  the  ponds.  Further,  the 
river  itself  has  been  polluted  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  a 
nuisance  and  a  menace  to  the  welfare  of  the  whole  com- 
munity. 

As  the  result  of  long  agitation  bv  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  of  the  city,  the  state  legislature  in  1913  author- 
ized Fall  River  to  appoint  the  VVatuppa  Ponds  and  Que- 
quechan  River  Commission.  This  Commission  subse- 
quently retained  Messrs.  Fay,  Spofford  &  Thorndike,  of 
Boston,  as  consulting  engineers.  As  the  result  of  their 
joint  report,  the  city  bids  fair  to  accomplish  some  remark- 
able civic  improvements. 

A  Novel  Three-Level  Conduit. — The  novel  feature  of  the 
plan  devised  by  Fay,  SpofFord  &  Thorndike  is  a  three- 
level  conduit  to  run  from  the  sand  bar  to  the  Watuppa 
Dam.  It  has  three  distinct  functions:  the  lowest  channel 
carries  cold  water  and  is  the  foundation  for  the  other 
canals;  hot  water  from  the  condensers  is  returned  to  the 
pond  in  the  upper  channel;  the  middle  channel  is  used  tor 
surface  or  storm  water  from  the  adjacent  shops,  ami  a 
.separate  sewer  is  installed  alongside  the  cold-water  chan- 
nel. With  these  proposed  improvements  the  mills  will 
have  available  a  supply  of  clean,  cold  water,  almost 
unlimited  in  extent.  The  conduit  will  supply  from  two 
and  a  halt  to  three  times  as  much  water  to  the  mills  as 
they  use  today.  The  hot  water  returned  to  the  pond  will 
have  the  oil  separated  from  it  before  it  passes  into  the 
pond. 


Financing  the  Improvement. — The  engineers  estimate 
the  cost  ot  construction  at  ?2,6oo,ooo.  This  amount 
includes  not  only  the  cost  of  building  the  required  con- 
duits but  the  cost  of  filling  in  the  entire  area  of  the  Que- 
quechan  flats.  It  does  not  include  the  items  of  damages 
and  general  expenses,  but  it  is  estimated  that  these  will 
be  offset  twice  over  by  the  value  of  the  filled  fiats  remain- 
ing in  possession  of  the  city  when  the  project  is  com- 
pleted. .As  a  further  reduction,  a  part  of  the  expense  is 
assessable  upon  interests  especially  benefited  by  the 
undertaking.  The  net  estimated  expense  to  the  city, 
therefore,  is  less  than  i\,lt,o,ooo. 

Reclamation  Possibilities. — The  usable  land  reclaimed 
from  the  present  shallow  submerged  river  banks  includes 
about  146  acres  and  is  particularly  suitable  for  manufac- 
turing plants.  It  is  expected  that  this  new  land  will 
attract  to  Fall  River  industries  of  varying  character,  thus 
changing  somewhat  the  industrial  complexion  of  the  city 
from  one  in  which  practically  everything  is  devoted  to 
cotton  manufacturing.  This  would  act  as  a  sort  of  bal- 
ance-wheel and  make  the  city  less  dependent  for  its  gen- 
eral prosperity  upon  the  state  of  the  cotton  market.  The 
improvement  of  the  sanitary  conditions,  so  greatly  needed, 
will  benefit  not  only  this  particular  locality,  but  the 
entire  city  as  well. 

The  execution  of  an  enterprise  of  such  magnitude  as 
this,  effecting  the  transformation  of  an  unsightly  and 
unsanitary  district  into  one  exceptionally  well  fitted  for 
industrial  and  civic  development,  will  demonstrate  the 
progressiveness  and  breadth  of  view  of  the  city  of  Fall 
River.  The  report  of  the  Commission  is  now  in  the  hands 
of  the  City  Council. 

Fitchburg 

Massachusetts 

.A  preiiniinary  study  of  the  thoroughfare  system  of 
Fitchburg  (41,781)  was  made  by  Arthur  Coleman  Comey 
tor  the  Municipal  Development  Commission,  established 
under  the  provisions  of  Chapter  327  of  the  Massachusetts 
.Acts  of  191J.  This  Commission  was  organized  in  June, 
1 913,  with  Alvah  M.  Levy  as  chairman,  and  \t.  has  made 
three  annual  reports  to  date.  Its  functions,  according  to 
the  law  under  which  it  was  organized,  are  very  broad  and 
include  investigations  in  city  planning  and,  particularly, 
such  as  relate  to  highways  and  traffic. 

Scientific  Study. — With  insufficient  financial  support, 
its  first  two  years  were  devoid  of  any  real  accomplish- 
ments, but  with  the  employment  of  Mr.  Comey,  studies 
and  plans  were  made  which  included  the  development  of 
property,  the  distribution  and  density  of  population,  the 
range  of  assessed  land  values,  and  the  thoroughfare  sys- 
tem. Mr.  Comey  submitted  his  report  on  November  30, 
1 91 5,  under  the  title  of  ".\  Preliminary  Plan  of  the 
Thoroughfare  System  of  Fitchburg,  Mass."  His  report  is 
chiefly  valuable  in  that  it  illustrates  many  of  the  newer 
methods  which  have  come  to  the  front  within  the  last 
three  or  tour  years  for  studying  problems  of  city  exten- 
sion. He  has  based  his  recommendations  for  new  thorough- 
fares on  fundamental  data  which  he  has  compiled  and 
charted  on  large  maps,  copies  of  which  are  published  with 


64 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


his  report.  He  has  sketched  briefly  Fitchburg's  traffic 
needs  and  has  outlined  in  a  broad  way  those  things  which 
will  serve  as  a  basis  for  more  intensive  study. 

Flint 

Michigan 

The  interesting  story  ot  what  has  happened  to  the  city 
of  Flint  (54,772),  "a  village  grown  over  night  into  a  city," 
is  told  by  John  Ihlder,  in  The  Survey  of  September  1,  191 6. 
As  a  village  it  had  "wide,  tree-shaded  streets  lined  with 
comfortable  frame  houses  separated  by  yards."  Today 
the  automobile  industry  has  added  nearly  50,000  people 
to  the  1  j,ooo  of  fifteen  years  ago,  and  there  has  developed 
the  inevitable  acute  rise  in  land  values,  with  a  corres- 
ponding shrinkage  in  the  size  of  lots  and  dwindling  in  the 
size  of  rooms.  This  in  turn,  means  the  inevitable  neces- 
sity of  crowding  more  people  into  the  smaller  rooms,  with 
a  corresponding  lowering  of  human  standards.  There  is, 
it  is  said,  indignation  over  the  hundreds  of  flimsy  shacks 
and  a  welcome  for  the  so-called  "improvements,"  in  the 
form  of  apartment  houses,  which  parade  impressive  fronts, 
borrow  their  light  and  air  from  their  neighbors,  and  hide 
dark  rooms.    "Flint  looks  at  the  outside." 

City  Planning  Begun. — We  all  know  the  rest  ot  the 
story.  It  does  not  distinguish  Flint,  except  in  the  rapidity 
of  the  process.  It  is  the  process  which  ever  accompanies 
centralized  industry.  Without  attempting  here  to  place 
the  responsibility  for  the  conditions  in  Flint,  it  is  sufficient 
to  note  that  Flint  is  beginning  to  see  a  new  light,  and 
under  the  leadership  ot  disinterested  public-spirited  citi- 
zens, the  people  of  Flint  are  going  to  plan  tor  a  future  city 
that  will  measure  up  to  a  higher  standard  of  civic  worth. 

Early  in  1917  the  Common  Council  adopted  a  report  of 
its  City  Planning  Committee  (consisting  ot  a  subcommittee 
of  the  Council,  acting  with  three  members  ot  the  Flint 
Board  of  Commerce),  which  Committee,  after  an  exten- 
sive study  of  the  needs  ot  the  city  with  respect  to  its  future 
growth  recommended  definite  action  toward  preparing  a 
city  plan  and  building  according  to  it  in  the  tuture,  and 
the  employment  ot  two  experts  to  prepare  a  comprehen- 
sive plan  for  the  Flint  of  the  tuture,  namely  John  Nolen, 
landscape  architect,  ot  Cambridge,  and  Bion  J.  .Arnold, 
engineer,  of  Chicago.  J.  Dallas  Dort  was  chairman  and 
Rev.  J.  Bradford  Pengelly,  secretary,  of  the  joint  commit- 
tee of  the  Board  of  Commerce  and  the  Common  Council. 

A  special  election  has  since  been  held  at  which  the 
people  of  Flint  were  asked  to  vote  on  an  amendment  to 
the  city  charter,  providing  for  the  appointment  of  a  city 
planning  commission.    The  question  submitted    was: 

"Do  you  favor  creating  a  city  planning  board  who  shall 
have  power  and  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  consider  and 
report  upon  the  plan  of  all  new  public  ways,  parks  and 
streets,  openings,  vacating  and  closing  ot  streets,  lanes, 
and  public  places,  the  design  of  public  buildings,  bridges 
and  other  public  structures,  and  of  the  extension  of  pave- 
ments, sewers  and  water-mains,  the  approval  of  all  plats 
and  subdivisions  and  of  all  other  public  improvements  in 
the  city  of  Flint." 

By  a  large  majority  the  people  voted  in  tavor  ot 
the  amendment. 


Fort  Smith 

Arkansas 

The  Noon  Civic  Club  of  Fort  Smith  (28,6j8),  organ- 
izetl  in  1911,  is  the  active  supporter  of  city  planning.  The 
Business  Men's  Club,  the  .Advertising  Club,  the  Rotary 
Club,  the  Motor  Club,  and  the  Park  and  Playground 
.Association  are  also  backing  the  city  planning  movement. 

Recently  a  number  of  slum  properties  have  been 
removed  to  improve  sanitary  and  housing  conditions; 
plans  for  repaving  and  tor  the  construction  of  a  bridge 
across  the  river  to  Oklahoma  are  being  dratted;  orna- 
mental street  lighting  is  being  carried  out;  and  grade 
crossing  elimmation  is  under  way. 

Recreation  and  playground  work  is  in  charge  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  School  Board,  and  vacant  lots,  school- 
grounds,  and  certain  buildings  are  used  tor  this  purpose. 
Community  center  work  is  conducted  at  the  high  school 
and  in  one  of  the  grade  schools.  Three  hundred  acres  of 
parks  have  been  set  aside,  and  part  of  a  35-mile  boulevard 
system  around  the  city  has  been  completed,  the  land 
being  given  by  the  city  and  the  actual  cost  ot  construction 
being  paid  by  the  county.  Two  waterfront  parks  are  to 
be  built  according  to  plans  now  prepared.  An  important 
commercial  waterway  can  be  made  of  the  Oklahoma 
River  when  dredged.  There  are  no  public  or  model 
private  retail  markets,  but  four  or  five  good  wholesale 
terminal  markets,  handling  all  classes  ot  food  supplies, 
are  conducted  under  private  management. 

Improvements  are  financed  through  "improvement 
districts,"  and  a  new  state  constitution  will  give  cities  an 
opportunity  to  finance  their  civic  improvements  by  means 
ot  long-term  bonds. 

Fort  Wayne 

Indiana 

A  unique  city  planning  campaign,  one  of  the  most 
energetic  that  has  been  conducted  in  a  short  time  in  any 
ot  the  smaller  cities  ot  America,  was  maugurated  in  Fort 
Wayne  (76,183)  in  the  latter  part  of  1916.  Lee  J.  Ninde, 
of  Fort  Wayne,  and  chairman  of  the  City  Planning  Com- 
mittee ot  the  American  Civic  .Association;  .Albert  Schaat, 
chairman  of  the  City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Indiana 
Real  Estate  Association,  also  resident  in  Fort  Wayne; 
Mrs.  F.  A.  Fauve,  president,  and  Mrs.  Fred  H.  McCul- 
loch,  chairman,  of  the  Civic  Department  of  the  Women's 
Club  League,  were  the  leaders  of  the  movement.  They 
appointed  a  committee  of  thirtv-eight  on  which  one 
member  ot  each  important  local  organization — civic,  com- 
mercial, educational,  social,  and  the  like,  served.  This  com- 
mittee engaged  the  .American  City  Bureau's  Planning  Exhi- 
bition, John  E.  Lathrop,  Director.  With  Mr.  Lathrop's 
assistance,  the  joint  committee  conducted  a  schedule  ot 
meetings  and  a  general  newspaper  campaign  by  which  the 
interest  of  all  groups  and  classes  of  people  in  the  city  was 
gained  and  city  planning  presented  from  every  angle.  In 
some  instances  it  was  arranged  that  the  various  organiza- 
tions which  the  committee  reached  should  meet  at  the 
Exhibition  auditorium  to  listen  to  lectures  and  to  see  the 


Cl'I^i     PLANNING    PROGRKSS 


65 


Courtesy  The  American  City 
Fort  Wavne. — Shawnee  Place,  a  Model  Residential  Street  with  Wide  Center  Parlvway  and  Grasi  Strips  on  Sid;w.ilk>;  Ri.i.lA'.iy 
Adapted  to  Traffic  Requirements. 


City  Plan?iirig  Kxhihition.  This  plan  worked  like  a  charm. 
Organized  Fort  Wayne  hearti  and  saw  city  planning; 
civic,  religious  and  business  forces  of  the  city  were  drawn 
together,  and  a  sense  of  unity  among  the  various  groups 
was  developed,  such  as  the  city  had  rarely  experienced 
before. 

State  Campaign. — Out  of  these  activities  came  the 
thought  that  if  city  planning  could  be  brought  before  a 
whole  city  in  this  way,  why  could  it  not  be  brought  before 
an  entire  state?  This  query  once  raised  received  immediate 
answer.  Lee  J.  Ninde,  who  was  also  president  of  the 
Indiana  Real  F.state  .'\ssociation,  arranged  what  he  called 
a  "Presidential  City  Planning  Tour."  He  called  various 
people  who  were  interested  in  city  planning  and  conducted 
an  automobile  tour  of  sixteen  cities  of  Indiana.  Group 
meetings  were  held  with  a  number  of  real  estate  boards, 
chambers  of  commerce,  city  officials,  and  others  repre- 
senting various  phases  of  life  and  activity  in  each  city. 
The  next  step  was  to  form  the  Indiana  City  Planning  Com- 
mittee, with  official  and  civic  representation  from  each  of 
the  twenty-five  cities  in  Indiana  that  had  10,000  or  more 
population.  Albert  H.  Schaaf,  of  Fort  Wayne,  was  made 
chairman.  Invitations  to  serve  on  the  Committee  were 
received  with  cordiality  and  enthusiasm.  The  chairman 
of  the  Committee  had  drafted  a  city  planning  bill  to  offer 
to  the  legislature  when  it  should  meet  in  January  of  this 
year.  This  bill  was  widely  distributed,  and  support  was 
proffered  from  many  quarters.  The  third  step  was  to 
arrange  for  city  planning  exhibitions  in  several  cities  of 


Indiana.  .At  the  convention  of  the  Indiana  Real  Kstate 
.'\ssociation,  held  about  this  time,  the  exhibition  was 
shown  and  the  .Association  adopted  a  formal  resolution 
endorsing  the  bill  drafted  by  the  chairman  of  the  City 
Planning  Committee.  In  January,  1917,  the  bill  was  intro- 
duced into  the  legislature.  Some  opposition  was  encoun- 
tered. The  bill  failed  to  pass  one  house  and  was  laid  over 
for  the  next  meeting  of  the  legislature.  But  a  volume  of 
sentiment  has  been  aroused  that  will  force  the  passage  of 
the  city  planning  bill  at  the  next  session — and  what  is 
equally,  if  not  more  important — will  see  that  the  law  once 
enacted  is  enforced  throughout  the  state. 

Report  of  /poS. — In  1908,  Charles  Mulford  Robinson, 
of  Rochester,  presented  a  report  on  "The  Improvement  of 
Fort  Wayne"  to  the  Civic  Improvement  Association,  of 
which  Charles  H.  Worden  was  president  and  Robert  B. 
Hanna  was  secretary.  Mr.  Robinson  first  discussed  ways 
and  means  of  increasuig  the  street  capacity  of  the  business 
ilistrict.  With  a  city  so  compactly  built,  he  limited  his 
recommendations  to  the  removal  of  unnecessary  obstruc- 
tions, to  the  better  subdivision  of  the  existing  street  cross- 
sections,  and  the  development  of  parallel  streets.  His 
second  group  of  recommendations  hinged  about  the 
official  quarter,  which  is  located  without  any  of  the  effec- 
tiveness which  comes  from  a  well-studieii  grouping  of 
civic  buildings.  He  proposed  apian  for  a  civic  center,  with 
the  existing  courthouse  on  the  main  axis,  and  running 
through  a  central  parkway,  or  mall,  laid  out  on  the  site  of 
old  and  inexpensive  structures.    The  third  recomnienda- 


66 


CITY    PLANNTNCi    PROCiRKSS 


tion,  dealing  with  the  union  station  problem,  has  already 
been  partly  solved  bv  the  building  of  a  new  and  modern 
terminal,  opened  in  1915.  His  fourth  proposal  had  to  do 
with  an  industrial  district  lying  just  outside  of  the  city. 
This  is  a  matter  which  is  being  studied  by  many  other 
cities  today  and  has  been  already  admirably  solved  by 
Minneapolis  and  Saint  Paul  jointly.  For  Fort  Wayne  it  is 
a  matter  of  vital  importance.  His  other  proposals  dealt 
with  the  arrangement  and  treatment  ot' residential  streets 
and  with  the  improvement  of  parks  and  the  extension  of 
the  existing  park  system. 

Port  Worth 

Texas 

In  1909,  as  a  result  of  the  activity  of  the  Park  League, 
the  people  of  Fort  Worth  (104,562)  were  awakened  to  the 
need  of  a  more  comprehensive  provision  for  the  recreational 
and  social  life  of  the  city.  The  membership  of  this  League, 
which  was  drawn  largely  from  the  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs,  has  under  its  control  JJ  acres  of  park  land.  The 
members  of  the  League  had  no  funds  to  expend  on  the 
improvement  of  these  park  areas,  but  in  1909  they  were 
successful  in  securing  an  amendment  to  the  city  charter 
providing  for  the  appointment  of  a  Board  of  Park  Com- 
missioners which  should  take  over  the  existing  open  spaces 
and  draft  plans  for  future  extensions.  The  first  Board 
was  appomted  in  .April,  1909.  Meantime,  the  Park  League 
had  engaged  George  P..  Kessler,  landscape  architect,  of 
St.  Louis,  to  prepare  a  preliminary  plan  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  park  system.  Mr.  Kessler's  report,  which  was 
never  published,  emphasized  the  unusual  opportunity 
which  Fort  Worth  possessed  to  develop  a  park  system  along 


the  winding  river  and  upon  the  bluffs.  His  plan  provided 
a  long  river  drive  and  numerous  sightly  terraces  over  the 
city  and  surrounding  country,  especially  at  lookout  points. 

Parks. — As  a  result  of  the  park  movement  in  Fort 
Worth,  the  city  has  twenty-three  parks,  with  a  total 
area  of  427  acres,  requiring  an  outlay  of  8166,785.  These 
parks  are  valued  today  at  $785,350.  The  Park  Commis- 
sion has  paid  for  these  parks  by  an  assessment  amounting 
to  10  cents  on  every  Sioo  of  taxable  property  per  annum. 

Recreation. — Playgrounds  and  pla\ground  supervision 
have  also  been  advanced  by  the  City  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs  and  the  Park  Board.  The  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs  were  instrumental  in  the  engagement  of  Rowland 
Haynes,  field  secretary  of  the  Playground  and  Recreation 
Association  of  .'\merica,  in  January,  191 5.  Mr.  Haynes 
made  a  comprehensive  recreation  survey  of  the  c'ty. 
After  several  abortive  attempts  to  induce  the  Park  Board 
and  School  Board  to  undertake  the  work  jointly,  as  recom- 
mended by  Mr.  Haynes,  the  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs  and  other  organizations  in  Fort  Worth  banded 
together  and  secured  from  the  School  Board,  in  .April, 
1916,  the  privilege  to  use  and  develop  schoolgrounds  and 
buildings  tor  recreation  purposes.  In  this  work  the  Park 
Board  appropriated  $2,000  tor  the  expense  tor  one  year  of 
a  system  ot  supervised  play,  and  the  Women's  Clubs  a 
like  amount.  In  April,  1916,  Albert  M.  Vail,  of  Alameda, 
Cal.,  was  appointed  Recreation  Secretary  of  Fort  Worth. 
The  recreation  system  now  consists  of  ten  playgrounds  and 
is  in  charge  of  seventeen  supervisors. 

Special  Surveys. — .\  sanitary  survey  ot  Fort  Worth  was 
made  by  Messrs.  Hering  and  Gregory,  of  New  York,  in 
iQii;,  through  the  efforts  of  the  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs  and  other  civic  organizations.  In  the  same  year,  a 
water  survey  was  made  by  Messrs.  Holman  and  Ladd,  of 


I'wRi    WiiRiH. — Hird's-L>c  \'icu  i;l  Pruposcd  P.irk  :unj  .Ai'i'i  ...n  n  \iiiii]  ..i  i^..urt  Huuse. 


CITY    P1.ANNIN(;    l^ROCiRKSS 


67 


St.  Louis,  and  in  1916,  Dr.  S.  M.  (nmn  ot  the  Massachu- 
setts Institute  ot  Technology  prepareil  a  report  on  the  use 
of  I, alee  Worth  tor  recreation  purposes.  None  ot  the 
reports  above  referred  to  have  been  published. 

Housing. — \  housing  survey  was  conducted  by  the 
Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  under  the  direction  ot  the 
University  of  Texas.  The  object  of  this  survey  was  to  pro- 
cure the  necessary  data  on  which  to  frame  a  housing  law. 
A  housing  bill  has  been  prepared  and  will  be  introduced 
into  the  legislature  at  the  present  session. 

Markets. — An  effort  is  now  being  made  to  have  the  City 
Commissioners  appoint  a  market  commission  to  inquire 
into  the  possibilities  ot  establishing  a  wholesale  municipal 
market  and  cold-storage  plant. 

Railroads. — Twelve  railroads  enter  Fort  Worth,  and  the 
city  is  now  actively  engaged  in  an  effort  to  induce  them  to 
eliminate  all  grade  crossings  by  tunnels,  viaducts,  or 
bridges,  and  a  bill  has  been  introduced  into  the  legis- 
lature compelling  the  railroads  to  carry  out  such  work. 
.An  effort  is  now  being  made  by  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce to  compel  all  the  railroads  to  build  a  union  station 
and  to  eliminate  main  street  crossings.  Glen  Walker  is 
president  ot  the  Park  League,  and  Charles  Scheuber  is 
secretary.  Miss  Mary  L.  Wright  is  president  ot  the 
Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  and  Mrs.  K.  H.  Katcliffe 
is  secretary. 

Fresno 

California 

In  F'ebruary,  1917,  the  City  Plan  Commission  (jt 
Fresno  (34,958)  engaged  Charles  H.  Cheney,  architect 
and  city  planner,  of  San  F'rancisco,  and  a  member  ot  the 
Town  Planning  Committee  of  the  xAmerican  Institute  of 
.Architects,  to  make  a  survey  of  Fresno's  city  planning 
needs  and  opportunities  and  to  present  a  city  plan.  Mr. 
Cheney  is  now  engaged  on  this  work. 

Gary 

Indiana 

Probably  the  greatest  single  calculated  achievement 
ot  the  steel  industry  in  .America  is  Gary  (about  60,000). 
Industrial  power  has  perhaps  never  before  had  a  simpler 
civic  opportunity  than  when  it  brought,  in  1906,  vast 
resources  to  an  uninhabited  wilderness  at  Lake  Michigan's 
southern  end.  In  .April,  1906,  the  site  on  which  Gary  is 
laid  out  was  a  waste  of  rolling  sand-dunes  sparsely  covered 
with  scrub  oak  and  interspersed  with  ponds  and  marshes. 
Three  years  later,  in  1909,  there  was  a  great  steel  plant, 
capable  ot  employing  14,000  men  and  covering  approxi- 
mately a  square  mile,  equipped  with  a  made-to-order 
harbor  tor  great  ore  freighters,  and  a  town  ot  12,000 
inhabitants.  Today,  eleven  years  after  the  project  was 
started,  a  population  of  60,000  dwells  within  the  city  ot 
Gary.  Property  valuation  has  reached  fl5,ooo,ooo,  and 
taxes  amount  to  nearly  J500,ooo  a  year.* 

Zones. — .All  the  plants  now  at  Gary  occupy  a  strip 
between  the  Lake  Michigan  shore  and   the   Grand  Calu- 

*See  "Satellite  Cities"  by  Gratiam  R.  Taylor,  for  a  full  discussicin 
of  the  planning  and  development  of  Gary. 


LAKE  .        MICMIOAN 


CouTlefiy  D.  Appleton  t*  Co. 

Gary. — The  Great  Steel  Mills  Occupy  the  Area  Ijerween  the 
Lake  Front  and  the  Grand  Calumet  River.  The  Town  Lies 
South  ot  the  River  and  Its  People  Have  No  Convenient  .Access 
to  the  Lake  Michigan  Shore. 

met  River,  running  parallel  to  the  shore-line,  a  mile  or 
more  to  the  .south.  The  residential  subdivisions  laid  out 
and  developed  by  the  United  States  Steel  Corporation 
through  its  subsidiary,  the  Gary  Land  Company,  occupy 
a  strip  inland  from  the  river  and  flanking  the  south  banks 
of  the  river.  Still  further  south  are  subdivisions  which 
real  estate  promoters  are  booming.  The  Grand  Calumet 
River  separates  all  the  plants,  except  one,  throughout  the 
town.  The  industrial  site  of  Gary  and  the  manufacturing 
features  were  planned  at  the  outset  on  an  enormous  scale, 
and  every  opportunity  was  seized  that  would  tend  to 
increase  the  efficiency  and  safety  of  manufacturing 
processes. 

Chance  for  an  Ideal  Plan. — The  unhampered  oppor- 
tunity to  develop  the  industrial  end  ot  the  town  on  the 
most  efficient  basis  was  equaled  by  the  opportunity, 
likewise  unhampered,  to  plan  the  streets,  provide  funda- 
mental necessities  for  community  life,  determine  the  char- 
acter of  its  houses,  and  predestine  the  lines  ot  growth,  all 
in  the  best  and  most  intelligent  way.  But  such  intelligent 
and  forehanded  consiileration  in  the  building  of  the  city 
under  the  direction  ot  city  planning  experts  was  not  accom- 
plisheii.  That  this  failure  has  been  recognized  by  the 
directors  ot  the  L'nited  States  Steel  Corporation  is  evi- 
denced by  the  plans  tor  the  development  of  the  two  latest 
steel  towns,  Morgan  Park,  near  Duluth,  and  Ojibway, 
near  Detroit,  which  show  considerable  improvement. 

Waterjront. — The  street  plan  of  Gary  is  the  old-fash- 
ioned rectangular  gridiron.  There  are  no  diagonal  thor- 
oughfares. The  steel  plant  is  a  major  feature,  and  the 
town  is  incidental.  Broadway  is  the  main  street  today, 
and  is  now  laid  out  6  miles  south  from  the  mill  entrance, 
and  for  well  over  3  miles  it  is  built  up  more  or  less  con- 
tinuously. The  preoccupation  ot  8  consecutive  miles  of 
the  laketront  tor  the  plants  has  blocked  the  chance  tor  the 


68 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


coniniunitv  to  secure  an  accessible  laketront  park.  Par- 
ticularly the  sand-dunes  on  the  shores  ot  Lake  Michigan, 
not  far  from  Gary,  should  be  preserved  ior  the  use  ot  the 
great  and  growing  metropolitan  population.  The  people 
of  Gary  are  working  in  this  direction  now  and  trying  to 
have  the  sand-dunes  regions,  6  miles  east  of  Gary,  set 
aside  as  a  natural  park.  It  would  seem  that  the  needs  of 
the  future  population  ot  Gary  in  this  respect  might  have 
been  recognized  by  the  steel  corporation,  but  only  two 
small  parks,  one  two  blocks  in  area,  and  the  other  one 
block,  were  provided  in  the  residential  subdivision  laid 
out  by  the  Gary  Land  Company. 

Do?ninaled  by  the  Plant. — The  outstanding  tact  of  Gary's 
creation  and  growth  is  that  the  industrial  arrangement 
had  the  right  of  way.  In  so  far  as  the  city's  interests  have 
not  conflicted  with  industrial  plans,  or  in  so  far  as  they 
were  essential  to  those  plans,  they  have  received  attention 
as  the  largely  self-contained  civic  enlightenment  ot  steel- 
makers suggested.  The  great  industrial  power  let  slip 
through  its  giant  fingers  a  chance  to  work  out  a  civic 
achievement  the  like  of  which  the  country  has  not  known. 
The  opportunity  was  exceptional  enough  to  have  re- 
quired the  thought  and  services  of  men  whose  civic  pur- 
pose and  ability  would  have  commanded  the  respect  and 
confidence  ot  the  nation.  Gary,  the  community,  could 
have  been  better  planned.  Larger  civic  responsibility, 
at  less  exacting  costs  of  time,  could  have  been  shouldered 
by  the  industrial  leaders  through  U  planning  com- 
mission. 

Needs  to  Start  Over. — It  is  evident  that  if  Gary  is  ever 
going  to  secure  the  full  measure  ot  civic  development  which 
she  needs  today,  enormous  sums  must  be  expended  by  the 
city  officials;  and,  even  now,  groups  of  persons  in  Gary  are 
looking  forward  to  the  time  when  a  city  planning  commis- 
sion will  take  hold  of  Gary's  problems  and  try  to  guard 
against  those  omissions  in  future  developments  which  have 
made  the  existing  town,  laid  out  only  ten  years  ago,  a 
rebuke  to  the  great  captains  ot  industry.  In  the  last  three 
or  tour  months  there  has  been  a  state-wide  campaign 
looking  to  the  passage  of  a  law  by  the  legislature,  making 
mandatory  the  appointment  of  a  city  planning  commis- 
sion. But,  unfortunately,  the  latest  reports  are  that  the 
legislature  has  failed  to  make  the  city  planning  bill  a  law. 
Gary,  which  some  persons  believe  is  destmed  to  become 
the  second  largest  city  in  Indiana,  has  undoubtedly  suf- 
fered a  serious  loss  by  the  failure  ot  the  legislature  to  put 
city  planning  on  an  official  basis. 

Plans. — Members  of  the  Gary  Real  Estate  Board  and 
.\.  V.  Wickes,  architect,  are  among  those  who  are  support- 
ing the  movement  for  city  planning. 

There  is  now  a  state  housing  law  in  Indiana  which  is 
effective  in  Gary,  but  there  are  no  restrictions  of  residential 
districts.  The  city  has  large  playgrounds  in  connection 
with  its  public  schools  and  a  municipal  playground.  There 
are  60  acres  of  parks,  acquired  since  the  original  town  was 
laid  out.  Gary's  notable  school  system,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  William  .\.  Wirt,  is  known  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  ot  America.  There  are  no  community  centers, 
but  the  Library  is  attempting  this  service  in  its  branches. 
There  are  no  civic  centers  or  educational  centers,  but 
there  is  a  nominal  grouping  of  the  Federal  Building  the 
Library,  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  .A.    There  are  three  elevated 


crossings  out  ot  a  total  of  nine.    The  rearrangement  of 
the  city  car  system  is  now  in  progress. 

Gloucester 

Massachusetts 

In  .spite  of  serious  endeavors  to  arouse  the  city  to  a 
need  of  adequate  support  tor  city  planning,  the  City 
Council  remains  apathetic,  according  to  Frederick  W. 
Tibbets,  chairman  of  the  Citv  Planning  Board  ot  Glou- 
cester (24,398). 

Mr.  Tibbets  believes  that  the  city  authorities  take  the 
wrong  view  of  the  function  of  the  Board,  by  failing  to 
realize  what  city  planning  means  and  what  it  could  accom- 
plish. He  believes  that  if  only  a  moderate  amount  of 
money  were  appropriated  annually,  even  though  no  tan- 
gible result  would  be  immediately  obtained,  a  vast  amount 
ot  good  work  could  be  done  through  educational  methods. 

Grand   Rapids 

Michigan 

The  first  organized  effort  tor  city  planning  in  Grand 
Rapids  {128,291)  was  started  in  1907  by  the  Municipal 
.Affairs  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  ot  which  John 
Ihlder  was  then  secretary.  After  a  year  ot  agitation,  the 
Committee  was  successful  in  securing  the  appointment  by 
the  City  Council  of  a  City  Planning  Commission,  with 
John  Ihlder  as  secretary.  Without  an  appropriation,  and 
confronted  by  a  city-wide  indifference  to  the  work  ot  city 
planning,  the  Commission  accomplished  nothing.  To 
reach  the  mass  of  people,  a  civic  revival  was  started  by  the 
Municipal  .Affairs  Commission,  and  with  John  Ihlder  as 
executive  manager,  and  Prof.  Charles  Zueblin  as  leader  of 
the  meetings,  considerable  enthusiasm  was  developed 
among  the  business  men  of  the  city.  Immediately  after 
the  close  ot  the  revival,  the  Council  voted  money  to  em- 
ploy experts  to  prepare  a  plan.  As  a  result,  the  City  Plan- 


-\    I'. 


inint    Creiiitaliiv 


Developed. 

The  treatment  of  other  portions  of  the  riverfront  is  one  ol  the 
most  debated  city  planning  problems  now  confronting  the  muni- 
cipality. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


69 


ning  Commission  engaged  the  late  John  M.  Carrere  and 
Arnold  N\'.  Brimner,  of  New  York,  to  come  to  Grand 
Rapids  and  make  a  study  of  its  problems  at  first  hand. 
While  this  study  was  going  on,  another  effect  of  the  revival 
became  evident.  Private  citizens  ot  means  began  to 
bestow  gifts  on  the  city  in  the  torni  ot  playgrounds,  park 
lands,  and  the  like.  The  Municipal  .Affairs  Committee 
continued  its  propaganda  tor  general  civic  advance,  and 
in  .April,  1909,  Messrs.  Brunner  and  Carrere  submitted 
their  report  entitled  "Preliminary  Report  for  a  City  Plan 
for  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan."  The  report  made  recom- 
mendations for  a  number  ot  street  widenings  and  exten- 
tions,  tor  the  regulation  ot  building  heights,  the  provision 
ot  adequate  approaches  to  the  railroad  station,  a  plan  for 
a  civic  center,  the  creation  ot  a  riverside  park,  the  develop- 
ment ot  a  comprehensive  system  ot  parks,  boulevards  and 
play-spaces,  and  tor  financing  the  improvements.  .As  a 
result  ot  the  publication  ot  this  report,  the  Commission 
recommended  that  a  permanent  city  planning  commission 
be  appointed,  with  three  citizens  as  members  and  the 
balance  officials  in  the  city  administration. 

Park  and  Boulevard  Association. — The  City  Planning 
Commission,  having  ceased  its  activities,  went  out  ot 
existence,  and  the  Park  and  Boulevard  Association 
assumed  active  charge  ot  the  city  planning  work.  Under 
this  latter  organization,  and  as  a  direct  result  ot  the  publi- 
cation ot  the  city  plan  report,  park  extension  was  carried 
out  in  a  large  way,  and  playgrounds  were  established  within 
a  half-mile  of  every  home  in  the  city.  Later  the  Park  and 
Boulevard  .Association  established  a  parkway  almost 
entirely  around  the  city. 

Housing,  etc. — Grand  Rapids  has  a  complete  housing 
ordmance,  the  result  ot  exhaustive  research  work  by  the 
Social  Weltare  .Association.  This  code  has  been  enforced 
and  still  remains,  alter  more  than  three  years,  one  of  the 
very  best  in  the  country.  There  is  a  Commission  at  work 
studying  problems  of  grade  crossings  and  railway  facilities 
in  general.  The  riverfront  development,  as  proposed  in 
the  city  plan,  remains  a  bone  of  contention.  Charles 
Garfield,  Lewis  R.  Wilmarth,  and  Clay  H.  Hollister  are 
interested  in  city  planning. 


Green  Bay 


Wisconsin 

.A  city  planning  commission  is  about  to  be  appointed  in 
Green  Bay  (29,353).  Mayor  Elmer  Stephenson  is  thor- 
oughly aroused  to  the  need  of  a  comprehensive  plan  for 
the  city.  A  subcommittee  of  the  Commercial  Club,  of 
which  Henry  .A.  Foeller,  member  ot  the  .American  Insti- 
tute ot  .Architects,  is  chairman,  has  repeatedly  urged  on 
the  Commercial  Club  and  on  the  citizens  generally,  the 
importance  ot  working  out  a  comprehensive  plan  right 
away.  A  movement  is  now  on  toot  to  secure  trom  the  state 
legislature  a  law  providing  tor  the  appointment  of  plan- 
ning commissions  in  cities  and  towns. 

IVaterJront. — Green  Bay  stands  at  the  head  ot  a  deep, 
navigable  indentation,  50  miles  long  and  10  miles  wide, 
connecting  with  Lake  Michigan.  Yet,  in  spite  of  this  loca- 
tion, its  tacihties  tor  waterfront  commerce  and  recreation 
have  only  begun  to  be  exploited.    The  city  has  IJ5  acres 


of  parks  and  no  boulevards,  and  only  ?  1,500  a  year  is 
appropriated  for  the  upkeep  of  its  recreational  facilities. 
Civic  Center. — .An  attempt  has  been  made  to  create  a 
civic  center  and  the  grouping  of  educatioiialj^buihlings  is 
now  being  considered. 

Greenville 

South  Carolina 

The  first  difficulty  in  considering  a  city  plan  for  a 
southern  city  is  the  large  negro  population.  In  their  report 
to  the  Municipal  League  of  Greenville  (18,181),  submittcii 
in  1907,  Kelsey  &  Guild,  ot  Boston,  Mass.,  have  recog- 
nized this  as  one  ot  the  first  and  most  vital  problems.  They 
do  not  pretend  to  have  solved  it,  but  from  the  experience 
ot  other  cities  and  from  a  study  of  local  conditions,  they 
recommend  that  the  wisest  course  to  adopt  is  the  deter- 
mination of  fairly  large  residential  units  for  the  different 
classes  ot  population  and  such  as  will  permit  no  encroach- 
ment by  the  different  races. 

Accomplishments. — Greenville's  plan,  as  a  result  of 
haphazard  growth,  shows  no  diagonal  or  encircling  streets, 
or  rather  too  tew  ot  these,  and  those  that  do  exist  are  much 
too  narrow.  The  experts  have  given  consideration  to  a 
plan  tor  the  revision  ot  the  street  system;  to  the  construc- 
tion of  an  inner  belt  or  ring  boulevard;  an  outer  belt  or 
ring  boulevard  (the  latter  at  a  distance  of  ij^  to  3  miles 
from  the  center  of  the  city);  the  elimination  of  grade  cross- 
ings; the  construction  of  a  park  and  plaza  at  the  union 
station;  the  grouping  ot  public  buildings;  the  arrangement 
and  design  of  street  turnishings;  the  planting  of  street 
trees;  and  the  improvement  ot  sanitary  conditions.  Green- 
ville, at  the  time  the  report  was  submitted,  was  in  greater 
need  ot  real  playgrounds  than  ot  parks,  and  so  sites   for 


(iREENvii.i.E. — Proposed     City     Plan,     Showing 
Parks  and  Parkways  and  New  or  Widened  Streets. 


Kncircling 


70 


CITY   PLANNING    PRCKiRESS 


playgrounds  and  neighborhood  parks  are  given  special 
consideration,  but  a  modest  park  scheme  is  oiitHned,  a 
feature  of  which  is  the  redemption  of  the  banks  ot  the 
Reedy  River. 

Greensboro 

North  Carolina 

The  city  of  Greensboro  (19,577)  has  recently  engaged 
Charles  Mulford  Robinson  to  prepare  a  plan.  Commenting 
upon  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Robinson,  the  Daily  News 
of  that  city  says: 

"More  than  one  man,  possessed  of  both  intelligence  and 
the  desire  to  help  along  any  community  enterprise  that  is 
worth  while,  has  of  late  raised  the  question,  'What  does 
Greensboro  want  with  a  city  plan.''  The  city  is  built  now, 
and  is  it  not  forever  too  late?' 

"Is  the  citv  in  fact  built?  Greensboro  has  a  population 
of  approximately  30,000.  In  the  year,  let  us  say,  1942, 
will  the  population  ot  Greensboro  remain  approximately 
,;o,ooo?  If  we  admit  that  it  will,  we  may  be  wasting  our 
time  in  sending  for  a  city  planner;  but  if  we  think  as  the 
Daily  News  thinks,  that  twenty-five  years  hence  Greens- 
boro will  have  a  population  of  100,000,  then  the  city,  in- 
stead of  being  built,  is  less  than  one-third  built;  and  the 
fact  that  the  first  third  was  built  at  haphazard  is  certainly 
no  excuse  for  building  the  rest  the  same  way. 

"(ireensboro  is  a  live  town,  therefore  a  changing  town. 
The  value  of  getting  an  expert's  advice  is  that  by  following 
it  we  may  make  every  change  a  change  for  the  better. 
It  is  probable  that  the  adoption  ot  a  city  plan  would  not 
do  the  town  much  good  this  year,  nor  next  year;  but  in 
the  course  ot  ten  years  the  improvement  would  be  marked; 
and  in  the  course  ot  a  generation  the  whole  city  would 
have  felt  its  beneficial  effects." 

Hamilton 
Ohio 

Like  scores  of  growing  cities,  Hamilton  (40,496)  is  in 
the  throes  of  agitation  for  city  planning.  Public-spirited 
citizens  in  Hamilton  feel  that  the  city  is  not  planned  in 
accordance  with  the  better  standards  for  city  building. 
Her  park  system  is  inadequate,  with  only  three  small 
parks,  aggregating  about  12  acres,  where  adequate  plan- 
ning would  call  tor  about  400  acres  in  a  city  of  this  size. 
There  are  no  boulevards,  no  public  playgrounds,  no  water- 
front parks,  no  community  centers,  and  still  less  any  study 
ot  traffic,  transit,  or  transportation  problems,  and,  in 
general,  tew  of  these  elements  of  the  city  plan  that  make 
for  the  best  interests  of  the  citizens  of  a  modern  com- 
munity. 

Realizing  that  the  situation  was  not  as  it  should  be,  the 
Chamber  ot  Commerce,  of  which  C.  R.  Greer  is  secretary, 
has  repeatedly  agitated  the  question  of  preparing  a  com- 
prehensive plan  for  the  city.  In  May,  1913,  Werner 
Hegeman,  city  planner,  visited  Hamilton  and  consulted 
with  officials  and  others  on  the  problems  centering  mainly 
about  the  development  of  the  waterfront.    Nothing  fur- 


ther was  done.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  Hamilton 
will,  in  time,  undertake  comprehensive  citv  planning. 
Frederick  D.  Meuller  and  George  Barkman,  architects, 
are  interested  in  the  problems  of  city  planning  and  in 
civic  improvement  in  general. 

Harrisbur^ 

Pennsylvania 

"LInparalleled  liy  any  city,  large  or  small,  in  .America," 
is  what  J.  Horace  McKarland,  president  ot  the  American 
Civic  Association  and  secretary  ot  the  Municipal  League 
of  Harrisburg,  says  of  the  municipal  improvements  which 
have  been  carried  to  completion  in  that  city  during  the 
last  decade.  And  to  none  ot  the  citizens  ot  Harrisburg 
(72,015)  is  more  credit  due  for  this  progress  than  to  Vance 
C.  McCormick,  president  of  the  Municipal  League  of 
Harrisburg,  and  J.  Horace  McFarland,  its  secretary.  Per- 
haps the  most  notable  and  spectacular  ot  the  improve- 
ments made  in  recent  years  is  the  beautiful  three-mile 
waterfront  park,  which  is  probably  much  more  impressive 
and  in  much  greater  use  proportionally  than  any  other 
similar  front  in  the  United  States,  not  even  excepting  the 
Charles  River  bank  improvement  in  Boston.  With  this 
there  should  be  mentioned  the  new  general  recreation  and 
park  system,  consisting  ot  950  acres  of  parks  and  play- 
grounds and  18  miles  of  parkway,  about  one-half  of  which 
is  finished  and  more  ot  which  is  in  service.  .All  ot  these 
park  improvements  were  paid  tor  by  bond  issue  and  were 
planned  according  to  designs  submitted  by  Warren  H. 
Manning,  landscape  architect,  of  Boston. 

.i  Record  of  Accomplishmenls — Roads  and  Sanitation. — 
The  improvement  of  Harrisburg  began  with  the  prepara- 
tion of  reports,  in  1901,  by  James  H.  Fuertes  upon  sewer- 
age and  water-supply,  by  M.  R.  Sherrerd  on  road  con- 
struction and  paving,  and  by  Warren  H.  Manning  on 
park  improvement.  Previous  to  that  time  city  roads  were 
at  times  almost  impassable  and  nowhere  very  good.  They 
have  since  been  nearly  all  paved  in  an  up-to-date,  substan- 
tial manner.  The  sewerage  system  has  been  greatly 
improved  and  extended  to  an  intercepting  sewer  at  the 
river's  edge,  with  its  discharge  below  the  city.  Over  this 
intercepting  sewer,  a  wide  concrete  path  has  been  carried 
all  along  the  city  front,  with  steps  leading  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  with  sockets  tor  lights  to  be  put  in  place 
between  high-water  periods. 

Flood-Prevention. — By  a  dam  across  the  river,  a  great 
river  water  basin  has  been  formed  where  formerly  there 
was  only  a  bare  river-bed  during  the  dry  season.  .A  system 
of  parks  has  been  carried  around  the  city,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  small  section  that  has  not  yet  been  acquired. 
In  this  system,  to  the  north  of  the  built-up  area,  is  a  great 
country  park  filled  with  beautiful  trees.  In  this  park  a 
great  swamp  area  has  been  developed  in  such  a  way  that 
floods  formerly  causing  great  damage  in  the  Paxton  Creek 
Valley  (extending  the  entire  length  ot  the  city)  are  now 
permanently  controlled.  The  riverfront  has  been  acquired, 
from  the  shore  drive  to  the  water's  edge,  tor  several  miles, 
including  a  section  ot  rather  unattractive  buildings  which 
will  soon  be  destroyed. 

The  Park  System. — The  park  system  includes  a  high 


CI'IV    1M.A\NIN(;    PROCiRKSS 


7J 


Hakri-sburg. — Riverfront,  Luukiiiy;  Nurth  truiii  W  .limit  Street. 
The  city  has  made  remarkable  progress  in  recent  years  in  many  lines  of  civic  improvement,  but  in  none  more  than  in  the  reclama- 
tion and  development  of"  the  riverfront  for  park  purposes.    An  intercepting  sewer  is  built  below  the  w-ide  concrete  promenatie  at  the 
water's  edge,  shown  above. 


ridge  in  the  center  of  the  great  valley  within  which  the 
cit)'  and  its  adjacent  territory  lies.  From  this  park  ridge  a 
.superb  view  is  to  be  secured  of  the  valleys  and  rivers, 
al.so  of  the  mountains,  with  the  great  Cumberland  Moun- 
tain gap. 

Lunti  Siibtiivision. — In  the  work  of  development,  about 
1,000  acres  have  been  subdivided  tor  residential  purposes, 
with  roads  and  reservations,  all  made  to  fit  into  the  plan 
of  the  city  and  its  park  systems.  The  deep  cuts  and  fills 
on  the  irregular  land,  for  which  the  old  rectilinear  plan  was 
responsible  in  many  places,  have  been  avoided. 

Cooperation  oj  the  People. — In  practically  all  this  work 
of  park  planning  and  real  estate  subdivision,  the  land  that 
was  acquired  for  wide  thoroughfares  and  parks  has  been 
given  bv  the  owners  or  sold  at  a  nominal  or  very  reasona- 
ble price.  The  small-lot  owners  with  property  along  the 
riverfront  have  given  up  their  frontage  rights  tor  the  bene- 
fit of  the  public  quite  as  readily  as  did  the  citizens  with 
greater  resources  and  with  large  estates.  In  very  tew 
cities  have  the  citizens  shown  a  broader  spirit  of  coopera- 
tion or  a  higher  degree  of  civic  responsibility  than  those 
of  Harrisburg  in  connection  with  these  improvements. 

The  Commission. — Harrisburg  has  also  an  official  City 
Planning  Commission,  organized  in  1913  under  the  Penn- 
sylvania city  planning  law.  Kdwin  S.  Herman  is  president. 
Unfortunately,  the  official  City  Planning  Commission  is 
not  as  active  as  it  should  be.  The  support  it  has  received 
from  the  Council  is  so  limited  as  to  stultify  its  work  to 
a  large  extent,  and  the  city  is  obliged  to  look  to  unofficial 
action,  particularly  in  the  direction  of  the  .Municipal 
League,  for  the  development  of  plans. 

Transit.—  Qx\\s    recently    the    Municipal    League    has 


presented  the  authorities  with  a  report  on  the  transit 
system,  giving  results  of  an  investigation  by  Hion  J. 
.Arnold,  of  Chicago. 

Civic  Center. — In  March,  1917,  the  city  of  Harrisburg, 
and  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  started  a  cooperative  uniier- 
taking  tor  the  development  ot  a  splendid  civic  center,  with 
the  state  capitol  building  as  the  nucleus.  .Arnold  W. 
Brunner,  of  New  York,  and  Warren  H.  Manning,  ot 
Boston,  have  been  engaged  to  prepare  plans.  In  this 
study  the  future  needs  of  the  city  are  being  provided  for  by 
laying  down  a  direct  and  wide  thoroughfare  between  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Station,  one  ot  the  great  city  units, 
and  the  Capitol  and  its  park  extension,  the  other  great 
unit.  The  plan  provides  tor  a  viaduct  above  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  tracks  and  Paxton  Creek  X'allev,  with  a 
.separation  of  grades  at  the  most  important  up  and  down 
valley  street  thoroughfare.  This  viaduct  is  on  the  great 
central  thoroughfare  ot  the  city,  .State  Street,  120  feet 
wide,  now  interrupted  by  the  Capitol  Grounds.  On  this 
street,  to  the  east  of  the  Capitol,  lies  the  city  playground, 
and  further  on,  at  its  summit,  the  Reservoir  Park  entrance, 
where  a  great  circle  is  planned  upon  which  there  should  be 
a  notable  monumental  structure  to  form  the  street 
terminus,  as  seen  from  the  State  House.  To  the  west  ot 
the  Capitol,  this  street  extentls  to  the  river,  over  which  :i 
bridge  is  projected  that  will  lead  to  a  great  natural 
ainphitheatre,  out  of  which  main  thoroughfares  will 
follow  existing  valleys  toward  the  west,  north  and  south. 

Steellon — /I  Satellite  City. — .After  the  Harrisburg  plan 
was  laid  down  and  well  advanced  toward  completion, 
Steelton,  the  great  steel  manufacturing  center,  a  satellite 
of  Harrisburg,  called    tor  a  town    plan.     Here,  again,  all 


72 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRt:SS 


the  outlying  regions  were  planned  with  a  system  of  main 
thoroughfares  following  the  lines  of  least  resistance  and 
connecting  with  the  Harrisburg  road  and  reservoir  dis- 
trict. Places  of  recreation  at  frequent  intervals  are  pro- 
viiied,  some  of  the  land  for  which  has  already  been  given 
to  the  city  by  owners. 

The  Problems. — Harrisburg  is  badly  in  need  of  improved 
housing  for  workingmen  and  of  the  control  of  building 
development  by  districting  or  zoning.  Market  conditions 
should  be  improved,  and  neighborhood  life  should  be 
fostered  by  the  creation  of  community  centers,  which  are 
now  lacking.  Street  furnishings  should  be  designed  accord- 
ing to  modern  standards.  These  and  many  other  matters 
point  to  the  need  of  a  comprehensive  plan  for  the  entire 
city  and  its  tributary  areas  to  supplement  the  splendid 
progress  in  detailed  planning  which  has  already  been  made. 

Hartford 

Connecticut 

Hartford  (110,900)  was  the  first  American  city  to  have 
a  permanent  city  planning  commission  authorized  by 
legislative  act.  Prior  to  this  time  the  city  had  been  develop- 
ing, as  most  other  American  cities  have  done  in  the  past. 


without  any  definite  plan,  but  Harttord  was  beginning  to 
feel,  about  1905,  that  if  it  was  to  maintain  its  prestige 
among  American  cities  of  its  class,  it  must  keep  alert  and 
abreast  with  the  times.  The  people  gradually  came  to 
realize  that  however  competent  and  experienced  their 
citv  officials  might  be,  there  was  need  ot  having  a  compre- 
hensive city  plan  as  a  guide  to  future  developments  and 
improvements,  and  that  that  plan  must  be  based  on  a 
thorough  and  exhaustive  study  of  the  city  by  disinterested 
expert  advisers. 

The  First  Citv  Planning  Commission  in  .-/merica. — In 
March,  1907,  the  charter  of  Hartford  was  amended,  and  in 
May  of  the  same  year  the  City  Planning  Commission  was 
appointed,  with  five  officials  and  two  citizen  members. 
The  Commission  immediately  gave  its  attention  to  the 
matter  of  selecting  experts  to  assist  the  Commission  in  the 
preparation  of  a  comprehensive  plan  and  report.  Over  a 
year  elapsed  before  definite  action  was  taken.  Meantime, 
the  Commission  devoted  its  attention  to  the  subjects 
defined  in  the  resolution  covering  its  appointment.  Such 
matters  as  the  location  of  public  buildings,  the  widening 
and  extension  of  streets,  the  consideration  of  matters  re- 
ferred to  it  by  the  Council  and  the  Department  of  Public 
Works,  including  plans  submitted  by  real  estate  developers 
for  new  subdivisions,  were  studied. 


ItLATlON  OF         rtOPOlID  DEVEtOPUINT         TO  EXIJTING  CONDITIONS 


Courtesy  Ctty  Parks  Association,  Philadelphia 

Hartford. — General  Plan,  Showing  Relation  of  Proposed  Development  to  Existing  Conditions. 
.Special  features  are  the  schemes  for  improvement  about  the  State  Capitol  and  for  the  subdivision  of  workingtnen's  districts  in 
the  suburbs. 


CITY   PLANNING    PRCKJRKSS 


73 


Gelling  Started. — On  October  20,  1908,  the  Commission 
employed  Carrere  &  Hastings,  ot  New  York,  as  advisory 
architects.  An  appropriation  of  about  f  2,800  was  made 
to  finance  their  investigations.  Meantime,  the  Commis- 
sion continued  active  study  ot  ail  matters  referred  to  it 
by  the  officials  and  by  private  developers  ot  real  estate, 
giving  consideration  also  to  suggestions  submitted  bv 
citizens  throughout  the  city.  With  Frederick  I,.  Ford,  at 
that  time  City  F^ngineer,  serving  as  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mission, the  Commission  was  ot  great  service  in  its  capac- 
ity as  an  advi.sory  body  to  the  city  officials. 

The  Report. — The  report  of  Carrere  &  Hastings  was 
tielayed  until  191 1,  and  was  then  published  in  a  volume 
entitled  "Plan  of  the  City  of  Hartford."  Of  the  report,  the 
F"itth  Annual  Report  ot  the  City  Planning  Commission  of 
the  city  ot  Hartford  says: 

"Idealistic  though  the  plan  seems,  whatever  difficulties 
may  interfere  in  carrying  them  out  in  detail,  and  however 
strongly  they  may  be  objected  to,  they  yet  illustrate  the 
important  principles  of  city  planning,  and  afford  a  broader 
and  clearer  vision  of  what  our  city  needs. 

"Plans  tor  the  development  ot  large  tracts  of  land  in 
the  northern  and  southern  sections  ot  the  city  have  been 
prepared  along  lines  suggested  by  this  report,  and  these 
results  alone  are  worth  more  to  Hartford  than  the  expense 
of  procuring  a  report." 

./  Basis  for  Further  Study. — The  report  urged  that  a 
bureau  of  statistics  be  founded  to  collect  and  tabulate 
exact  knowledge  on  city  planning,  and  that  a  board  of 
experts  be  established,  to  which  all  technical  matters 
connected  with  the  development  of  the  city  be  referred. 
It  also  recommended  that  legislation  be  enacted  tor  accom- 
plishing the  work  proposed  m  the  report. 

Parks. — (Jf  George  A.  Parker,  Superintendent  ot  Parks, 
whose  work  is  well  known  among  landscape  architects  and 
park  superintendents  in  America,  much  could  be  said.  It 
is  interesting  to  note  that  Hartford  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  first  city  in  the  United  States  to  buy  a  sizeable 
park  by  vote  of  the  people.  Progress  in  this  direction  has 
been  steady,  for  the  city  today  has  1,335  acres. 

Roscoe  W.  Clark  is  now  secretary  of  the  City  Planning 
Commission.  Charles  Noel  Flagg,  president  of  the  Muni- 
cipal .Art  Society,  is  actively  engaged  in  community  and 
civic  center  work.  The  Civic  Club,  Mrs.  Frederick  \V. 
Davis,  president,  and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  W.  L. 
Mead,  secretary,  are  also  interested  in  city  planning,  and 
have  given  their  support  to  it. 

Haverhill 

Massachusetts 

On  February  5,  1917,  a  city  planning  board  was  organ- 
ized in  Haverhill  (48,477)  under  ordinance  ot  the  City 
Council  of  January  26,  1917,  and  in  conformity  with  the 
state  law  of  Massachusetts  (Chap.  494,  .Acts  of  1913).  The 
City  Council  appropriated  |ioo  for  the  work  of  the  Board, 
ot  which  Francis  W.  Holden  is  clerk. 

Function  of  the  Commission. — The  City  Council  has  also 
had  under  consideration  the  appointment  ot  a  Board  ot 
Survey  under  a  recent  Massachusetts  act.    The  Boartl  is 


to  consist  of  three  members,  and  the  city  engineer  is  to 
act  as  clerk.  As  provided  in  the  act  referred  to,  the  Board 
will  have  charge  of  the  laying  out  of  streets.  .Any  person, 
firm,  or  corporation  proposing  to  lay  out,  relocate,  or  con- 
struct t<ir  public  use  any  private  street  or  way,  shall  sub- 
mit to  the  Hoard  plans  and  jirofiles  tor  its  approval.  The 
Board  may  also,  by  vote  of  the  City  Council,  cause  plans 
ot  undeveloped  territory  to  lie  maiie  by  the  city  engineer, 
showing  the  location  of  streets,  whether  laid  out  or  not, 
giving  the  direction  and  widths  ot  streets  and  plans  of 
drainage,  as  the  interest  of  the  public  may  require  in  such 
territory. 

Hazel  ton 

Pennsylvania 

.A  City  Planning  Commission  was  appointed  in  Hazleton 
(28,491)  on  February  23,  1916,  by  orilinance  ot  the  City 
Council  under  the  State  .Act  approved  July  16,  1913. 
B.  E.  Youngman  is  secretary.  The  Commission  has  received 
no  financial  support  whatever  from  the  City  Council,  so 
there  have  been  no  reports  prepared  and  no  real  accom- 
plishments other  than  the  work  done  in  the  preparation 
ot  plans  for  an  athletic  field  and  for  certain  public  parks 
and  playgrounds. 

Hoboken 

New  Jersey 

Hoboken  (77,214)  is  best  known  as  an  entrepot  for  the 
great  commercial  activities  of  the  metropolitan  district  of 
New  York.  Lying  just  across  the  Hudson  River  from  the 
Island  of  Manhattan,  it  has  long  served  as  the  .American 
base  for  some  ot  the  great  steamship  lines  of  the  world. 
Its  nearness  to  New  York  City  and  its  facilities  for  dock- 
age have  made  its  waterfront  a  center  of  activity.  Hoboken 
has  also  been  brought  into  close  association  with  the 
metropolis  by  the  "Tubes"  under  the  Hudson  River.  All 
ot  these  matters  make  city  planning  in  Hoboken  a  problem 
which  the  city  can  ill  afford  to  neglect,  but  there  are  few 
cities  of  its  size  which  have  done  so  little.  No  effective 
study  has  been  made  of  docks,  terminals,  transportation, 


AilhuT  Ware,  .Architect 
Hoboken. — Entrance,  Hinlson  County  Park. 
None  too  well  supplied  with  thc),se  things  that  appeal  to  the 
higher  sensibilities  of  her  citizens,  the  city  is  fortunate  in  possess- 
ing this  refreshing  bit  of  landscape  and  architectural  enihellish- 
nient. 


74 


CITY   PLANNING   PRO(;RESS 


-CiTT     Or    ttOLTORC  MAO/-^ 

■fciLDytYt- YiEW  Of  pu5poyED  Qrr  GAjt-  Amo 
p!L;:':'oyE.D  fticitt  /y-  Ex|E;iyio.i  Alo/k;  The  &LUTf 


Hoi.voKE. — Bird's-eye  View  of  Proposed  City  Gate  (in  L'pper  Center  ot  Picture)  and  Proposed  High  Street  Kxtensiun  alunt;  the 


HKiff. 

and  streets.  There  are  only  tour  small  parks,  mere  breath- 
ing-spaces, one  of  which  is  on  the  waterfront.  There  are 
tew  trees  and  but  little  care  is  given  to  them.  One  hopetiil 
aspect  ot  the  park  situation,  however,  is  the  good  work 
which  IS  being  done  by  the  Hudson  County  Park  Com- 
mission. One  large  park  in  particular,  which  serves 
jointly  Hoboken  and  Jersey  City,  is  a  special  teature  ot 
the  city  plan.  Housing  conditions  have  become  so  press- 
ing that  the  Hoboken  Housing  Association  was  organized 
in  1916  under  private  auspices,  and  with  the  support  ot  a 
city  ordinance.  No  city  tunds  have  been  provided.  Dr. 
Hugo  Alexander  is  an  active  participant  in  the  work  of 
this  .'\ssociation  in  its  efforts  to  better  conditions  in  un- 
sanitary dwellings  in  slum  districts.  Charles  Fall,  archi- 
tect, and  Palmer  Campbell,  ot  the  Hoboken  Land  and 
Improvement  Company,  are  active  in  work  tor  better 
planning. 

Holyoke 

Massachusetts 

A  city  plan  was  prepared  tor  Holyoke  (65,286)  by 
Warren  H.  Manning,  ot  Boston,  Mass.  The  plan  was  pre- 
sented in  the  form  of  a  reliet  map.  It  included,  not  only 
the  city,  but  also  such  adjacent  dominant  landscape  tea- 
tures  as  Mt.  Tom,  the  great  sweep  of  the  Connecticut 
River  surrounding  it,  the  outlying  reservoirs,  and  a  wide 
range  of  open  land  that  will  come  into  the  residential  dis- 
tricts. The  plan  provided  for  riverside  parkways,  for 
connecting  links  between  existing  state  and  city  parks,  for 
forest  holdings,  tor  the  broadening  and  extension  ot  main 
thoroughtares,  the  location  ot  bridges,  freight  yards,  a 
city  gate,  and  the  like.  It  was  found  that  an  unusually 
large  part  ot  the  city  was  already  set  aside  for  public 
uses.  It  therefore  did  not  seem  advisable  to  recommend 
the  acquirement  ot  any  considerable  areas  of  new  park  land. 


riioirjujihfiircs. — As  the  existing  thoroughtares  now 
stand,  a  very  large  share  of  all  the  automobile  tourist 
travel  passes  around  the  city  on  its  way  up  the  Connecticut 
Valley.  One  of  the  principal  city  planning  problems,  there- 
fore, was  to  make  a  more  direct,  convenient,  and  attractive 
way  through  the  city  tor  such  tratTic.  The  conditions  at 
the  south  ot  the  manutacturing  and  business  districts  ot 
the  city  were  peculiarly  tavorable  tor  opening  such  a 
thoroughfare.  .A  new  road  could  be  established  trom  the 
existing  main  tourist  road  along  a  bluff  at  some  distance 
back  of  the  riverfront,  sweeping  in  a  great  semi-circle  to- 
ward the  city  and  the  river.  The  proposed  new  road  would 
pass  up  to  a  bluff  edge,  otFering  a  superb  opportunity  for 
a  city  gateway.  From  this  point,  comparatively  short  con- 
necting roads,  cutting  through  undeveloped  territor)' 
owned  in  part  by  the  city,  could  be  extended,  like  the 
spokes  ot  a  wheel,  to  connect  with  several  ot  the  main  city 
streets.  One  ot  these  main  streets  was  planned  to  cross 
the  river  by  a  new  bridge  above  the  existing  dam  and  to 
connect  with  roads  passing  up  the  Valley.  It  would  have 
every  advantage  over  the  present  tourists'  thoroughfare. 

Referring  again  to  the  city  gate  location  at  the  top  ot 
the  bluff,  its  position  is  such  that  it  would  be  seen  tor  a 
long  distance  from  the  river,  trom  the  stream  and  electric 
roads,  and  trom  the  highways  that  lead  to  Holyoke  trom 
Springfield  and  other  cities  to  the  south.  No  report  was 
presented  with  this  plan,  but  the  dominant  features  were 
indicated  on  placarils  that  accompanied  the  model. 

Honolulu 

Hawaii 

In  his  report  on  Honolulu  (52,183),  submitted  to  the 
Board  of  -Supervisors  of  the  County  of  Oahu  in  1906, 
Charles  Mulford  Robinson  makes  a  plea  for  the  preserva- 


CITY    PLANNING    PRCXiRKSS 


75 


tion  ot  the  individuality  ot  Honolulu.  "Cut  through 
broad  avenues  and  boulevards,  build  a  hot  and  sunnv 
quav,  widen  vour  streets  and  straighten  them,  spend 
money  enough  to  bankrupt  your  city  in  such  measures, 
and  when  the  work  is  all  done,  the  winsf)meness  ot  Hono- 
lulu will  have  departed."  He  urges  that  the  distinction 
ot  Honolulu  will  rest  upon  the  preservation  ot  its  natural 
and  characteristic  charm.  Changes  and  improvements  in 
the  street  system  were  recommended  in  the  nature  ot 
developments  rather  than  a  remaking  of  the  old.  A  num- 
ber of  extensions  and  widenings  were  proposed,  however, 
in  accordance  with  the  principles  advised  above. 

If'iiler  Gale  and  Civic  Center. — The  railroad  station 
problem,  in  the  case  ot  Honolulu,  is  altogether  overshad- 
owed bv  the  greater  significance  ot  the  water-gate.  Big, 
new  slips,  built  at  the  time  the  report  was  made,  deter- 
mine the  location  ot  this  gate.  Mr.  Robinson  urgeii  the 
acquisition  ot  a  spacious  approach,  with  proper  architect- 
ural acces.sories,  presenting   an  imposing  entrance  to  the 


city.  .Another  focal  point  ot  the  city,  the  administrative 
or  official  center,  was  discu.ssed.  Few  cities  of  the  United 
States  arc  so  fortunate  as  Honolulu  in  the  early  grouping 
ot  public  buildings  around  a  single  open  space.  Mr. 
Robinson  made  certain  recommendations  tor  their 
modification  in  the  district  where  thcv  are  located,  incluii- 
ing  the  cutting  through  ot  a  new  street  and  the  introiiuc- 
tion  ot  sites  tor  new  public  structures. 

Parks. —  In  a  city  like  Honolulu,  with  no  large  class  ot 
tactory  operatives,  and  with  abuntlant  natural  scenery, 
one  large  park  is  sufficient  for  a  pleasure  ground.  At  the 
time  the  report  was  maile,  the  city  already  possesseti  an 
area  sufficient  tor  this  purpose,  it  proper  measures  for 
improvement  were  taken.  The  citv's  great  need  is  for 
scenic  reservations  that  great  viewpoints  tor  all  the  people 
may  be  made  available.  I""or  this  purpose,  Mr.  Robinson 
recommends  the  setting  asiiie  ot  certain  hill  districts  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  citv. 

Sei^hbijrhooii    Parks    and    Boulei'ards.     "Si-i    park    sys- 


HoT  Springs. — City  Center  and  Proposed  Sanitarium  and  Kesort. 
The  new  sanitarium  fronts  on  the  principal  business  thoroughfare.    .A  terrace,  ,^5  feet  high  and  1,100  feet  long,  extends  along  the 
entire  street  frontage.    Wtien  the  new  development  is  complete,  Hot  Springs  will   rank   near  the   top  of  the  list  of  great  lialh  resorts 
ot  the  world. 


76 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


teni,  however  well  worth  while,  could  lay  claim  to  com- 
pleteness if  it  had  only  pleasure  grounds  and  scenic 
reservations.  Mr.  Robinson  devoted  considerable  space 
to  the  central  sections  ot"  Honolulu  and  suggested  the 
setting  aside  of  areas  of  cheap  land  and  the  improvement 
of  existing  spaces  in  the  possession  ot  the  city.  The 
boulevards  of  Honolulu  should  be  one  of  the  city's  chief 
a.ssets,  as  the  climate  provides  delightful  weather  for  out- 
door motoring  and  driving  from  year's  end  to  year's  end. 
Mr.  Robinson  noted  several  fine  possibilities  for  realiz- 
ing adequate  connections  between  the  parks  by  the  con- 
struction ot  broad  driveways. 

Hot  Springs 

Arkansas 

The  site  of  Hot  Springs  (17,238)  lies  in  the  valley  that 
nestles  against  the  gigantic  hills  of  the  Ozark  range  and 
then  overflows  upon  a  pleasant,  broad  plain.  It  takes  its 
name  from  the  tortv-six  hot  springs  which  rise  at  the  base 
of  the  mountains.  In  1832  nearly  i,coo  acres  ot  mountain 
woodland  in  and  around  the  city  were  reserved  by  the 
Federal  Government  as  a  national  forest  reservation.  This 
was  one  of  the  earliest  essays  of  the  Government  in  a  policy 
now  so  urgently  agitated,  for  the  conservation  of  natural 
resources.  In  the  years  which  have  elapsed,  the  Govern- 
ment has  worked  to  make  the  hot  springs  of  greater  service. 
It  has  expended  large  sums  in  protecting  the  springs  and 
bringing  their  waters  to  the  city;  in  the  construction  ot 
boulevards  and  walks  among  the  mountains;  and  in  the 
establishment  ot  a  military  and  naval  hospital. 

Recovery  from  the  Conflagration. — In  September,  191  J, 
a  disastrous  fire  destroyed  twenty  blocks  in  the  heart  ot 
Hot  Springs,  including  schools,  hotels,  the  courthouse, 
and  many  houses.  Undaunted,  the  people  ot  Hot  Springs 
began  the  rebuilding  of  their  city  on  newer  and  broader 
lines.  The  Business  Men's  League,  an  organization  of 
active  and  enthusiastic  supporters  for  Hot  Springs,  has 
been  particularly  active  in  this  direction.  They  realize 
that  Hot  Springs  has  an  opportunity  to  become  a  really 
attractive  city,  much  more  attractive  than  it  has  ever 
been  before,  particularly  if  advantage  is  taken  of  the 
opportunity  to  build  wisely  in  the  pleasant  low-lying  land 
to  the  east  of  the  present  heart  of  the  city.  Here  is  an 
unusual  opportunity  for  the  application  of  city  planning 
principles.  The  city  is  undoubtedly  destined  to  come 
rapidly  to  the  front  in  both  commerce  and  manutacturing. 
Now  is  the  time  for  the  people  ot  Hot  Springs  to  seize  the 
opportunity  for  comprehensive  planning. 

Private  enterprise  has  not  been  backward  in  placing 
Hot  Springs  in  the  forefront  of  cities  ot  her  class.  In  fact, 
in  1917,  a  movement  was  placed  on  a  firm  basis  to  make 
Hot  Springs  one  of  the  great  health  resorts  of  the  world. 
Col.  R.  I.  OnfTroy,  of  New  York,  has  completed  plans, 
drawn  by  George  B.  Post  &  Sons,  of  New  York,  for  a 
huge  sanitarium  and  resort.  Only  the  final  details  of 
incorporating  The  American  Thermae  Company,  which  is 
to  finance  the  enterprise,  are  in  the  way  of  beginning  work 
on  the  project.  The  plans  call  for  the  erection  of  a  sani- 
tarium to  cover  IJ/^  acres.  It  will  require  about  two  years 
to  complete  the  entire  project. 


The  site  for  the  new  baths  has  strong  natural  advan- 
tages. The  entire  plant  is  to  be  located  in  the  heart  of  the 
city.  The  disadvantage  of  the  main  frontage  on  the  prin- 
cipal business  thoroughfare.  Central  Street,  is  obviated  by 
an  arrangement  which  calls  tor  a  terrace  35  feet  in  height 
and  more  than  1,100  feet  in  length,  extending  along  the 
entire  front.  The  buildings  are  in  tour  distinct  groups, 
enclosing  a  large  central  court,  developed  with  a  big 
natatorium,  tennis-courts,  and  gardens.  The  principal 
buildings  are  the  hotel,  administration  club,  theatre  build- 
ings, bathhouse  group,  rest-house,  hospital,  medical  college, 
employees'  living  quarters,  power-plant,  and  service  build- 
ings. The  bathhouses  will  be  in  three  parts:  one  for  the 
use  ot  the  patients  from  the  rest-house;  one  tor  the  use  of 
afflicted  guests  of  the  hotel;  and  the  third  tor  the  use  of 
the  public.  .A  big  gymnasium  will  be  part  of  the  bath- 
house group  and  will  provide  ample  floor-space  to  adapt 
it  to  the  use  of  conventions  and  other  events  requiring 
large  seating  capacity. 

Houston 

Texas 

In  1 913,  Arthur  C.  Comey,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  pre- 
pared tentative  plans  for  the  development  ot  Houston 
(112,307)  for  the  Houston  Park  Commission.  In  the  pub- 
lished report  of  ninety  pages  are  two  chapters  devoted, 
respectively,  to  general  principles  ot  city  planning  and  to 
the  results  ot  a  city-wide  survey  of  physical  conditions, 
and  the  others  present  preliminary  plans  for  parks,  streets, 
transit  lines  and  railways  and  a  scheme  for  handling  the 
legal  and  financial  aspects  ot  the  plan.  The  particular 
merit  of  the  report  is  that,  with  its  illustrations,  it  does 
give  consideration  to  the  fundamental  data  necessary  to 
thoroughgoing  city  planning.  Since  Mr.  Comey  submitted 
his  report,  the  Park  Board,  of  which  E.  B.  Parker  is  chair- 
man, has  engaged  George  E.  Kessler,  landscape  architect, 
of  St.  Louis,  to  make  plans  for  them. 

Civic  Art. — Houston  has  about  700  acres  ot  parks  and 
many  miles  of  boulevards,  as  yet  very  barren.  Its  chief 
asset,  from  the  standpoint  ot  art  and  building,  is  the  great 
educational  group  of  the  Rice  Institute  which,  in  the 
course  of  the  past  six  years,  has  erected  six  buildings  of  a 
total  of  thirty-four,  plans  for  which  were  drawn  by  Ralph 
.'^damsCram.  The  buildings,  the  grounds,  and  the  faculty 
have  done  more  to  advance  the  conception  of  the  city 
orderly  and  beautiful  than  anv  other  factor  in  Houston 
today.  William  Ward  Watkin,  Professor  ot  .-Architecture 
in  the  Rice  Institute,  and  a  member  of  the  firm  ot  Endress 
&  Watkin  ot  Houston,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Texas 
Chapter  of  the  .American  Institute  ot  .Architects,  has  sub- 
mitted plans  tor  a  civic  center. 

Ship  Canal. — Without  doubt,  the  greatest  factor  in  the 
development  of  Houston  as  a  commercial  and  industrial 
center  in  the  South  is  the  ship  canal,  a  natural  deep  water- 
way, 50  miles  in  length,  connecting  Houston  with  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  terminating  at  Houston  in  a  great 
series  of  municipal  docks  and  railway  terminals.  It  is 
undergoing  improvement  by  Government  engineers,  from 
the  city  to  Galveston  Bay,  underan  appropriation  of 
^2,500,000. 


CITY    Pl.ANNlNCJ    PROCiRKSS 


77 


Indianapolis 

Indiana 

The  Real  Estate  Board  ot"  Indianapolis  (271,708)  has 
both  a  City  Planning  Committee  and  a  Housing  Com- 
mittee. These  committees  have  awakened  a  very  real  and 
intelligent  interest  in  all  problems  pertaining  to  city  plan- 
ning withm  the  last  two  years.  The  city  has  never  recog- 
nized city  planning  officially,  but  a  housing  law  which  was 
passed  by  the  legislature  in  1916,  following  a  state-wide 
campaign,   puts   the  control  ot   housing  on   a   thoroughly 


two  weeks,  during  February,  1917,  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Indianapolis  Real  Kstate  Board,  the  Chamber  ot 
Commerce,  the  Boarti  ot  Trade,  the  .Architectural  .Asso- 
ciation, and  other  organizations,  and  ilid  much  to  extend 
an  understanding  ot  city  planning  throughout  the  city. 
Parks  and  Methods  of  Financing. — Indianapolis  has 
over  1,700  acres  of  parks.  Plans  are  being  carried  out 
gradually,  which  will  ultimately  make  the  city  the  pos- 
sessor ot  a  fine  encircling  boulevard  system,  following  the 
course  ot  tour  streams  on  either  side  ot  the  built-uji  district. 
Indianapolis'  park  plans  were  started  with  official  backing 
HI    iS(;;,     In    iSiyt>   the  general   assembly  ot   the  state  ot 


Courlef.\   The  Americun  Cily 

Indianapolis. — Plan  ot  Present  and  Proposed  Phiygrounds  ami  Playfieids,  Showing  Their  Relation  to  Cuniprchcnsive  Park  System. 


effective  basis.  The  city  ot  Indianapolis  also  has  building 
ordinances  which  are  ot  value  in  preventing  the  construc- 
tion or  use  ot  unsanitary  dwellings.  There  has  never  been 
any  attempt  to  district  or  zone  the  city. 

Effort  to  Secure  State  City  Platining  Law. — The  Indiana 
Real  Estate  Association  was  instrumental  in  the  intro- 
duction of  a  city  planning  bill  into  the  legislature  early 
in  1917.  The  bill  provided  for  the  appointment  of  plan- 
ning commissions  in  all  cities  and  towns,  and  passed  one 
house  but  tailed  ot  passage  in  the  other.  However,  the 
Real  Estate  .Association  is  continuing  its  campaign  of 
education  and  expects  to  have  a  similar  bill  introduceil 
in  191 9. 

The  City  Planning  Exhibit  of  the  American  City 
Bureau  ol  New  York  was  exhibited  in  Indianapolis  for 


Indiana  passed  an  act  establishing  a  Department  of  Parks 
and  creating  a  Board  ot  Park  Commissioners.  In  lgo8 
George  E.  Kessler,  of  St.  Louis,  was  appointed  land- 
scape architect,  and  he  served  in  that  capacity  until 
December  31,  1915.  Mr.  Kessler  prepared  a  compre- 
hensive plan  for  the  development  of  a  park  system,  in  the 
development  ot  which  steady  progress  has  been  made. 
In  this  connection  the  financial  methods  employed  are  of 
interest.  In  191 1  the  legislature  passed  a  park  law  which 
provided  for  the  acquisition  ot  land  required  for  park  pur- 
poses by  special  assessment.  Under  the  provisions  of  the 
act  the  entire  area  ot  Indianapolis  is  divided  into  four 
districts,  administered  by  a  commission  ot  tour  appointed 
by  the  Mayor.  The  combination  ot  simplified  legal  pro- 
cedure, wise  business  practice,  and  an  equitable  method 


78 


CITY    PLANNING    PROGRKSS 


of  distributing  the  cost  of  improvement,  has  made  it 
possible  for  the  city  of  Indianapohs  to  take  land  needed 
for  parks  at  a  fair  price  and  with  little  delay. 

Playgrounds. — In  playground  work,  Indianapolis  has 
taken  an  important  place.  .\  comprehensive  report  on 
a  survey  of  the  city's  recreational  facilities  was  made  by 
Francis  R.  North,  field  secretary  of  the  Playground  and 
Recreation  Association  of  America,  in  1915.  During  the 
summer,  all  school  playgrounds  arejn  charge  of  a  city 
playground  director. 

Transpoi-lation. — The  city  has  no  waterfront  usable  tor 
commercial  purposes.  Transportation  facilities  are  well 
developed.  Trackage  in  the  central  mile-square  district 
is  now  being  elevated.  .■\  union  station,  providing  facilities 
for  seventeen  different  roads,  most  of  them  trunk  lines,  is 
a  feature.  The  city  has  also  a  union  interurban  transit 
and  trolley  station,  entered  by  twelve  interurban  lines, 
connecting:  Indianapolis  with  practically  every  citv  in  the 
state. 

The  Indianapolis  Real  Kstate  Board,  the  Indianapolis 
.•\rchitects'  .Association,  the  Indianapolis  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  and  the  .Architectural  Club,  have  assisted  in 
giving  support  to  citv  planning  in  the  past  two  years. 

Jackson 

Michigan 

There  is  no  organization,  private  or  official,  engaged  in 
city  planning  in  Jackson  (30,530).  The  city  has  575 
acres  of  parks  and  no  boulevards.  Playground  work  is 
being  carried  on  bv  the  Playground  .Association.  The  city 
is  giving  some  support  to  this  latter  work,  and  plans  are 
under  way  for  widening  its  scope  in  1917.  -About 
$250,000  worth  of  new  street-paving  is  to  be  laid.  Boule- 
vard lighting  is  provided  on  the  main  street.  The  city 
manager,  Gaylord  C.  Cummin,  is  the  person  most  inter- 
ested in  city  planning  in  Jackson. 

Jacksonville 

Morida 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Jack.sonville  (76,101)  is 
about  to  appoint  a  committee  on  city  planning.  Up  to 
this  time  no  committee  or  commission  has  given  thought 
to  the  problem  of  planning  comprehensively  for  the  future 
growth  of  the  city. 

Jamestown 

New  York 

The  big  need  of  Jamestown  (36,580),  according  to 
Glenn  .A.  Bowers,  formerly  assistant  secretary  to  the 
Jamestown  Chamber  of  Commerce,  in  charge  of  civic 
affairs,  is  a  comprehensive  plan  tor  the  city  and  its  trib- 
utary areas.  Hardly  anything  has  been  done  to  forward 
the  industrial  or  business  needs  of  the  town.  The  total 
park  area  is  only  95  acres,  and  there  are  no  boulevards  and 
no  waterfront  parks.  Present  plans  for  extension  are  ex- 
tremely meager.  The  need  for  play-space  was  so  urgent 
that  the  School  Park  .Association  recently  raised  the  funds 


necessary  to  buy  a  55-acre  lot  and  presented  it  to  the 
School  Board.  To  control  building  development,  a  com- 
mittee of  the  Board  of  Commerce  has  drawn  up  a  building 
code  and  will  later  draft  a  housing  law. 

Jersey  City 

New  Jersey 

In  an  address  on  "The  Survey  tor  a  City  Plan,"  de- 
livered at  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  before  the  fifth  annual  conference 
of  Mayors  and  other  officials  ot  the  state  of  New  York  in 
.April,  1914,  and  published  in  the  proceedings  ot  the  con- 
ference for  that  year,  Prof.  James  Sturgis  Pray,  chairman 
of  the  School  of  Landscape  .Architecture  of  Harvard 
L'niversitv,  said: 

"The  well-nigh  universal  prime  need  ot  our  cities  today 
is  the  making  of  systematic  surveys  in  the  broad  sense,  not 
only  engineers'  land  and  topographical  surveys,  but  .  .  . 
surveys  touching  all  the  important  departments  of  the 
city's  activities  and  the  need  of  keeping  these  records 
reasonably  up  to  date  in  all  important  respects.  .  .  .  The 
making  and  maintaining  ot  a  proper  survey  offers  a  par- 
ticularly fruitful  field  for  the  development  of  modern  scien- 
tific method,  .  .  .  characteristic  of  modern  business, 
wherever  conducted,  on  a  scale  comparable  to  the  admini- 
stration of  a  municipal  corporation,  but  .  .  .  unhappily 
by  no  means  universally  characteristic  ot  the  conduct  ot 
municipal  administration.  The  most  striking  and  iilu- 
minating  investigation  yet  made  known  ot  this  question 
of  method  is  that  recently  made  by  E.  P.  Goodrich  and 
Geo.  B.  Ford,  for  the  city  of  Jersey  City,  N.  J." 

T/ie" Survey." — The  accomplishment  to  which  Professor 
Pray  refers  was  the  first  step  in  the  plan  tor  organizing,  on 
a  scientific  basis,  the  future  work  of  the  City  Planning 
Commission  of  Jersey  City  (306,345).  The  Commission 
was  organized  .April  14,  191  i  (under  Chap.  71,  Laws  of 
New  Jersey,  191  0)  with  Frank  Stevens  as  chairman  and 
Hugh  Kelly  as  secretary.  The  aim  of  the  experts  engaged 
by  the  Commission  was  to  standardize  the  making  ot 
investigations  and  recommendations  so  as  to  get  the  most 
complete  and  valuable  results  at  the  least  cost  to  the  com- 
munity. Cognizance  was  taken  ot  the  tact  that  no  two 
cities  are  alike  in  their  problems  and  that  the  individuality 
of  a  city  studied  must  be  preserved.  In  Jersey  City  the 
whole  field  was  covered  with  a  view  to  omitting  no  im- 
portant phase  of  city  planning.  It  was  recognized  that 
planning  without  a  full  knowledge  of  the  facts  would  be 
absurd.  -A  city  planner  must,  injustice  to  his  clients,  know 
every  part  of  the  city  and  every  phase  ot  its  physical  lite, 
including  streets,  transit,  transportation,  waterfront 
tlevelopmcnt,  food-supply,  housing,  education  and  recre- 
ation, parks,  public  buildings,  laws  and  finance.  Such  was 
the  problem,  and  it  was  all  carried  along  at  the  same  time, 
so  that  the  proper  sense  of  proportion  was  preserved.  The 
only  way  in  which  a  thorough  knowledge  of  conditions 
could  be  obtained  was  by  making  a  pedestrian  survey. 
The  experts  set  out  to  "know  the  city."  They  covered  on 
foot  every  part  of  the  city  and  the  outskirts  in  a  series  ot 
fifteen  one-hour  to  five-hour  tramps — some  64  miles  in 
all.  They  made  memoranda  covering  all  ot  the  various 
phases  of  the  subjects  mentioned  above. 


CI'IV    PI.ANNINC;    I'KCK.RI.SS 


79 


The  Report. — When  satisfied  that  thev  really  did  "know 
the  city,  "  the  investigators  grouped  their  memoranda 
under  various  heads.  I'niier  each  heaii  the  main  tacts 
with  regard  to  existing  conditions  were  grouped  under  the 
heading  "Data;"  the  main  objects  and  ideals  to  he  striven 
tor  were  then  grouped  under  the  heading  "Desiderata;" 
and,  lastly,  the  methods  ot  getting  to  work  in  each  case 
were  grouped  under  the  head  "Procedure."  This  latter 
head,  in  each  case,  contained  many  suggestions  for  inten- 
sive investigations  as  required  hv  particular  problems.  .\t 
the  close  of  the  report,  entitled  a  "Program  ot  Procedure," 
there  was  a  summing  up  ot  the  facts  and  recommenda- 
tions presented  under  the  intiividual  heads  and  an  analysis 
of  the  relative  importance  ot  the  various  items,  trom  which 
was  worked  out  a  logical  sequence  ot  urgency.  Thus,  a 
comprehensive  program  was  prepared  in  pursuance  ot 
which  the  Commission  could  do  just  as  much  or  just  as 
little  as  it  desired  or  could  afford  in  any  given  year. 

Term!>ia/  Plans. — Since  the  City  Planning  Commission 
took  up  its  study  of  Jersey  City's  planning  needs,  the 
movement  for  a  broader  treatment  ot  the  commercial  and 
industrial  assets  ot  the  city  plan  has  gained  impetus,  largely 
as  a  result  of  the  efforts  ot  the  Jersey  City  Chamber  ot 
Commerce.  In  January,  1915,  a  report  was  submitted  by 
F.  Van  Z.  Lane,  resident  engineer  tor  the  Chamber  ot 
Commerce.  Mr.  Lane's  recommendations  hinge  on  the 
industrial  use  of  the  waterfront  of  the  city.  The  vast 
railroad  properties  and  extensive  waterfront  facilities  in 
Jersey  City  point  to  the  need  ot  a  great  municipally  con- 
trolled industrial  area  as  recommended  by  Mr.  Lane.  In 
May,  igi6,  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce  prepared  a  report 
covering  the  Lehigh  \'alley  Railroad's  proposed  project  to 
construct  a  terminal  tor  its  own  use  in  Jersey  City.  The 
Chamber  of  Commerce  takes  the  stand  that  the  Company 
should  be  required  to  cooperate  in  the  development  ot  its 
industrial  and  commercial  terminal  tacilities  with  all  other 
railroads  in  the  city,  and  that  the  joint  terminal  should  be 
under  nninicipal  control. 


Parks. — Jersey  City  is  notably  lacking  in  parks,  play- 
grounds, and  open  spaces,  but  much  good  work  has  been 
done  in  this  direction  by  the  Hudson  County  Park  Com- 
missions, of  which  Walter  (i.  Muirhead  is  secretary.  This 
Commission  has  been  responsible  tor  a  large  amount  ot 
greatly  diversifietl  park  work  in  the  towns  lying  in  Hudson 
Countx ,  in  which  Jersey  City  has  shared. 

Johnstown 

Pennsylvania 

In  1900,  the  city  of  Johnstown  (6X,529)  celebrateil  the 
centennial  of  its  founding  by  John  Johns,  who  planned 
what  is  now  the  geographical  center  of  the  city.  His  plan 
bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  those  ot  older  cities  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Pennsylvania,  and  especially  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  was  no  doubt  influenced  by  Penn's  ideas. 
This  old  plan  included  a  recreation  ground,  still  existing 
at  the  intersection  of  the  two  rivers  which  flow  through 
the  city,  a  central  park,  a  city  hall  square,  and  one  or  two 
other  open  spaces. 

Recent  Plan. — The  great  industrial  activities  which  are 
a  feature  of  the  city's  life  today  have  brought  new  prob- 
lems which  the  city  officials  have  sought  to  solve  by  hav- 
ing a  comprehensive  plan  prepared  for  the  entire  city.  A 
City  Planning  Commission  was  appointed  in  October, 
1914,  under  the  act  of  assembly  ot  Pennsylvania  of  191J. 
Henry  Hornbostel,  architect,  of  New  York,  was  engaged  to 
prepare  a  plan.  Since  that  time  the  city  has  appropriated 
a  total  of  35,000,  Jji.ooo  of  which  have  been  useil  tor  expert 
services.  Mr.  Hornbostel  has  been  assisted  by  George 
Wild,  architect,  of  Johnstown,  and  X'ictor  .\.  Rigaumont, 
as  resident  representative.  .\  special  feature  of  the  plan, 
and  one  which  has  been  very  favorably  received  by  the 
people  of  Johnstown,  is  the  suggestion  tor  improving  the 
"point  district"  one  of  the  original  public  spaces  reserved 
b\'  the  founder  of  the  city  as   a  recreation  park.    Johns- 


:.-^^&^'^^^. 


IS^'* 


^^& 


'-•r^^i0't 


-^rqK», 


Johnstown. — Treatment  of  "The  Point,"  ;is  Proposed  in  Comprehensive  Plan  Just  Completed. 
.At  the  intersection  of  two  rivers,  this  area  was  reserved  for  the  piitilic  in  the  original  plan  of  1800. 


8o 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


town  is  deficient  in  park  spaces,  only  slightly  more  than 
60  acres  ot  land  being  devoted  to  this  purpose. 

The  Recommendations. — Other  features  of  the  plan, 
which  is  to  be  published  this  year,  are  the  development 
of  new  traffic  ways  for  the  relief  of  the  down-town  busi- 
ness streets,  the  improvement  of  the  waterfront,  the 
development  of  new  boulevards,  the  segregation  of  indus- 
trial plants,  the  construction  of  new  bridges,  the  arrange- 
ment of  civic  and  recreational  centers,  and  a  plan  for  a 
rapid  transit  route  for  workingmen,  between  factories 
and  home  districts. 

Improvements  in  Transportation. — Johnstown  has  al- 
ready made  considerable  progress  in  the  improvement  of 
her  transportational  facilities.  A  new  railroad  terminal 
has  been  opened,  two  new  bridges  have  been  constructed, 
and  a  freight  terminal  has  been  developed.  Of  particular 
interest  is  a  notable  group  centering  about  the  William 
A.  Cochran,  Jr.,  High  School,  now  being  completed. 

F.dmund  OverdorfT  is  president  of  the  City  Planning 
Commission,  and  Leo.  G.  Buettner  is  secretary. 


Courlesy  The  Arcbilecturat  Record 
Kansas  City. — ^Improvement  at  12th  Street  on  the  Paseo,  a 
Parkway  9  miles  long  and  from    100   to   565   feet  wide,  and   the 
Main  .Artery  of  the  Boulevard  System. 

Joplin 

Missouri 

With  a  park  acreage  that  conforms  to  the  best  stan- 
dards of  today,  Joplin  (33,216)  has  a  good  foundation  on 
which  to  awaken  public  interest  in  city  planning.  There 
are  two  parks,  one  of  160  acres  and  two  smaller  ones  with 
a  total  of  14  acres.  There  are  four  playgrounds,  two  or 
three  of  which  are  on  vacant  lots  and  schoolgrounds. 
Evidently  there  is  great  demand  for  larger  and  better 
recreation  facilities  for  neighborhood  use.  Little  con- 
scious city  planning  has  been  done  to  date,  but  the  loi.al 
architects  have  been  interested  and  active,  including 
Austin  Allen,  A.  C.  Michaelis,  Dieter  &  VVenzel,  and 
Charles  H.  Sudhoelter. 

Kalamazoo 

Michigan 

As  the  principal  industrial  and  commercial  center 
of  southwestern  Michigan  and  the  fourth  city  in  the 
state,  Kalamazoo  (48,886)  must  give  attention  to  city 
planning  if  the  city  is  to  meet  its  growing  responsibilities 


Courtesy  The  Arcbileclural  Record 
Kansas  City. — Original  Study  for  the  Park  System  of  the  Year 
189J,  outlining  9.85  miles  of  Boulevard  and  323  .Acres  of  Parks. 


Courtesy  Tbe  .Arcbttectural  Record 

Kansas  City. — The  Park  System  of  Today,  Now  Compris- 
ing 2,576  Acres  of  Park  and  Parkway,  61  miles  ot  Boulevard, 
Improved,  and  52  miles  Owned  but  not  Improved. 

Further  plans  provide  for  the  acquisition  of  761  acres  of  park- 
ways with  a  roadway  system  of  26  miles. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCiRKSS 


8i 


adequately.  Representing,  as  it  does,  every  interest  in 
the  citv,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which  O.  B. 
Towne  is  secretary,  stands  foremost  among  Kalamazoo's 
organizations  in  the  promotion  of  the  civic,  industrial, 
and  commercial  lite  ot  the  city,  and  it  is  the  logical  body 
to  give  support  to  a  movement  for  citv  planning.  Work 
on  city  planning  is  held  in  abeyance,  however,  pending  the 
outcome  ot  the  campaign  tor  a  new  city  charter  in  which 
powers  more  tavorable  to  city  planning  work  are  to  be 
provided.  Kalamazoo  was  settled  in  1829  and  was 
organized  as  a  city  in  1883.    It  has  294  industries. 

Parks. — Municipal  provision  for  recreation  consists 
of  seven  parks  with  a  total  area  ot  85  acres,  augmented 
by  225  acres  ot  parking  around  the  State  Hospital,  a 
playground  and  athletic  field  around  each  school,  and 
several    areas   especially   reserved    tor   plav.     Boulevards 


are  being  laid  out  at  the  present  time  according  to  a 
general  plan  which  involves  the  improvement  of  the 
rivertront. 

Kansas  City 

Missouri 

Kansas  City  (297,847)  has  a  country-wide  reputation 
for  its  remarkable  park  system.  It  is,  perhaps,  the  most 
complete  and  well-organized  system  existing  in  America 
today.  The  steps  by  which  it  was  realized  make  one  of 
the  interesting  chapters  in  the  history  of  civic  advance 
in  .America.  The  work  began  in  1892  when,  through  the 
agitation  of  a  group  of  public-spirited  citizens,  the  city 
employed  Cieo.  K.  Kessler,  of  St.  Louis,  to  devise  and 
prepare  a  plan  for  a  system  of  parks.    In  1895  a  law  was 


Courtt&y  The  Artbileclural  Rtcord 

Kansas  Citv. — Wading  Pool  in  the  Grove. 
About  500  children  use  the  pool  daily  in  mild  weather. 


82 


CITY    PLANNING    PROGRESS 


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C^flPAHATlYE /TUDY  iJ'F  CIVIC  CE/ITER.  /CHE/IE/    F^S^R.  KA/I/A/   CITY    -   DRAW/^    BY   BEfl  J.  LVB/CHEZ  -    F-A-I-A 


Kansas  City. — Comparative  Study  of  Five  Civic  Center  Schemes,  and  General  Diagram  Sliowing  Their  Rehition  to  Each  Other 
and  to  the  General  Park  and  Street  System. 

The  arrangement  of  the  approach  to  and  surroundings  of  a  new  railway  terminal  are  pressing  matters.  Two  of  the  schemes  sug- 
gest solutions  for  this  problem  and  involve  the  treatment  of  a  plaza,  a  small  park,  adjacent  thereto,  and  a  connection  with  the  boule 
vard  svstem. 


enacted  which  gave  the  city  and  its  Park  Board  the 
means  for  actively  pursuing  its  plan  for  enlarging  and 
improving  the  first  plans.  With  a  gift  of  a  park  contam- 
ing  i>33^  acres,  about  this  time,  the  whole  movement  was 
greatly  accelerated,  so  that  today  there  are  1,985  acres 
in  parks  and  590  acres  in  parkways.  Other  reservations 
are  planned  which  will  bring  the  grand  total  up  to  3,337 
acres,  or  almost  one  acre  of  park  space  to  nearlv  every 
hundred  persons  in  the  community,  a  showing  equaled  bv 
hardly  any  city  in  the  country,  except  Washington,  D.  C. 
The  total  cost  of  land  improvements  and  maintenance 
since  1895  has  been  a  little  over  115,000,000.  Perhaps  the 
most  interesting  feature  of  this  entire  development  has 
been  the  method  of  paying  for  the  new  parks  and  park- 
ways.   A  plan   has  been   worked  out  and  adopted  with 


great  success  by  which  the  cost  ot  parks  is  assessed  upon 
the  abutting  and  neighboring  property.  The  results  of 
this  remarkable  development  have  shown  themselves  in 
hundreds  of  ways  that  make  for  city  betterment  in 
general. 

Railway  Terminals. — At  the  present  time  the  city  is 
interested  in  the  developing  of  the  district  of  which  the 
fine  new  railway  terminal  station  is  the  center.  It  is 
hoped  that  some  plan  will  be  adopted  that  will  provide 
an  adequate  plaza,  a  park,  and  a  worthy  setting  for  impor- 
tant public  buildings  in  the  vicinity  of  the  station.  Ben. 
J.  Lubschez,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Architects,  has  been  particularly 
interested  in  studying  ways  and  means  for  the  solution 
of  this   problem   and,  in    fact,   for   many  other   matters 


CITY    I>I.ANNIN(;    FROCiRKSS 


83 


Courtesy  Tbe  ArcbitectuTal  Record 

Kansas  Citv. — Swope  Park  in  the  Southeast  Part  of  the  City,  the  People's  Great  Playground,  Acquired  in  1896  by  Gift;  1,332  Acres. 

involving    the     comprehensive     treatment     of"    planning  traffic  and  terminal  problems  of  the  city.    If  such  a  corn- 
problems,  mission    had    drafted    a    comprehensive    plan,   one    that 
The  Needs. — One  ot  the  greatest  needs  of  Kansas  City  would  have  given  consideration  to  all  phases  of  the  city's 
today  is  a  city  planning  commission  that  will  solve  the  development  present  and  future,  the  park  and  boulevard 


Courtesy  Tbe  Arcbitectural  Record 

Kansas  Citv. — West  Terrace  Park  and  Outlook   Tower  at   Tenth  .Street. 
The  shacks  and  ugliness  that  pervaded  the  site  of  this  improvement  have  been  eradicated,  and  a  tine  drive,  and  points  for  magnif- 
icent panoramic  views,  opened  up. 


84 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCURESS 


system,  justly  praised  and  extremely  picturesque  and  ser- 
viceable as  it  is,  would  not  have  usurped  all  practical 
locations  tor  traffic  ways  as  it  actually  has  done.  The 
easiest  grades  have  been  taken  for  boulevards  and  thus 
preempted  the  routes  that  should  really  be  assigned  to 
business  and  commercial  traffic. 


that  have  met  with  city-wide  approval.  William  Buch- 
holz  is  president  of  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners,  and 
W.  H.  Dunn  is  resident  landscape  architect. 

Housing. —  In    private   enterprises   with    unusual   plan 
ning  interest,  the  Country  Club  residence  subdivision  of 
1,000  acres,  laid  out  and  developed  by  J.  C.  Nichols,  is 


Cour/CM    /'"    \i.lH:,.Un„l  Rmnd 
Kansas  City. — Pcnn  Vallc>   I'.iik  (1,52  acres),  a  Rugged  Picturesque  Reservation  Near  the  Union  Station  and  the  Business  Sec- 
tion of  the  City,  Acquired  in  1900  ami  Completed  in  190J;  Cost  $1,300,000. 


Courtesy  The  Architectural  Record 

Kansas  City. — Wading  Pool  in  Washington  Square,  a  Playground  for  Children  of  2.07  Acres,  Costing,  Complete,  $128,000, 
Equipped  with  Outdoor  Gymnasium  and  Shelter  Building. 

This  playground  has  the  second  largest  attendance,  15,000  during  the  season.  In  line  with  its  policy  of  selecting  school  sites  on  the 
park  and  boulevard  system,  the  Board  of  Education  has  constructed  a  modern  ward  school  just  south  of  and  facing  the  playground. 


Citizen  Interest. — The  City  Club  has  among  its  mem- 
bers many  who  are  vitally  interested  in  these  and  other 
city  planning  problems,  and  they  have  contributed  from 
time  to  time  suggestions  tor  their  solution.  The  Kansas 
City  Chapter  ot  the  .American  Institute  of  Architects, 
including  Geo.  M.  Siemens,  Henry  F.  Hoyt,  and  Ben  J. 
Lubschez,  have  contributed  valuable  sketches  and  plans 


particularly  noteworthy.  Mr.  Nichols  has  not  only  per- 
formed a  great  service  to  the  community  in  introducing 
the  most  advanced  ideas  in  town  planning  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  residence  property  under  his  control,  but  he 
has,  in  numerous  ways  and  at  various  times,  given  support 
to  the  movement  for  more  rational  methods  of  land  sub- 
division, particularly  in  his  address  before   the  American 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCURESS 


85 


Civic  Association  several  years  ago,  which  has  been  printed 
in  pamphlet  form  and  distributed  by  the  Association  in 
all  of  the  cities  ot   the  countrv. 

Kenosha 

Wisconsin 

Homes  tor  workingmen  !  This  has  been  the  greatest 
problem  ot  our  American  industrial  cities  during  the  past 
two  years.  For  the  last  tive  years  Kenosha  (,11,576)  has 
taced  a  house  famine.  During  the  year  ending  May  i, 
1916,  the  total  increase  in  employees  was  2,918,  while 
the  number  ot  houses  built  in  the  same  period  was  only 
245.  Conditions  betore  this  new  increase  had  already 
been  bad  and  with  this  new  condition  Kenosha  taced  an 
undeniable  housing  problem. 


surroundings,  value,  the  extent  of  water,  gas,  and  sewer 
connections,  and  the  convenience  of  transportation  tacili- 
ties.  These  results  were  shown  on  diagrammatic  maps.  The 
prevailing  stantlards  ot  workmen's  houses  were  investi- 
gated, lot  ami  block  liimensions  were  ascertained,  street 
widths  and  other  related  questions  were  studieii.  State 
ami  city  laws  relating  to  housing  were  combed  trom  the 
voluminous  records  ot  the  city  clerk  and  the  city  attor- 
ney, and  many  other  details  relating  to  the  housing  prob- 
lem of  Kenosha  were  ascertained  for  the  purpose  of  ac- 
curately gauging  the  neeiis  and  opportunities. 

The  Report  arid  the  Result. — \ir.  Nolen's  report  and 
recommendations  were  based  absolutely  upon  this  sur- 
vey ot  conditions.  In  his  report  he  took  up  methods  of 
wholesale  housing  and  building  in  other  sections  ot  the 
country,  and  ways  and  means  especially  applicable  to 
Kenosha   were  suggested.     As  a  result  ot   this  report,  a 


Kansas  Crrv. — Bathhouse  in  the  Grove;  the  Most  Complete  Combined  Park  and  l^laygroimii  in  the  Ciry.  .Area  ot  Park,  11 
.Acres;  Entire  Cost,  $283,000. 

In  its  completeness,  its  pervasiveness,  in  the  way  it  reaches  every  quarter  and  section  ot  the  city,  the  park  system  ot  Kansas  City  is 
unexcelled  by  any  other  in  the  world. 


Industrial  Housing,. — Realizing  that  such  conditions 
could  only  result  in  inefficient  employees,  the  Manufac- 
turers' .As.sociation  last  May  determined  to  take  the  in- 
itiative in  meeting  the  issue,  .^t  least  1,000  new  houses 
were  needed  immediately.  To  obtain  plans  embodying 
the  best  modern  features  of  city  planning,  house  construc- 
tion, and  financing,  John  Nolen,  ot  Cambridge,  Mass., 
was  engaged  to  make  recommendations.  A  questionnaire 
was  prepared  and  sent  to  all  the  local  manufacturers. 
The  answers  were  summarized,  and  a  clear-cut  estimate 
of  the  housing  situation  was  thus  made.  The  customary 
local  methods  of  providing  houses  for  sale  and  the  financ- 
ing of  building  operations  were  investigated.  Definite  in- 
formation was  obtained  with  regard  to  open  areas  avail- 
able for  low-cost  housing  with  respect  to  their  character, 


most  remarkable  undertaking,  involving  the  building  of 
about  1,000  houses,  is  now  in  progress. 

Manufacturing  Homes. — Space  does  not  permit  a 
detailed  explanation  ot  the  organization  of  the  entire 
work.  Briefly,  it  is  the  adaptation  to  the  building  ot 
houses  ot  the  same  principles  that  guide  our  large  indus- 
trial plants  in  their  conversion  of  raw  material  into  the 
finished  product.  In  other  words,  Kenosha  is  not  build- 
ing houses,  it  is  manufacturing  houses. 

Parks. — Kenosha  has  hitherto  accomplished  prac- 
tically nothing  in  the  way  of  comprehensive  planning 
for  its  future  physical  growth.  However,  the  .American 
Park  Builders,  of  Chicago,  Myron  H.  West,  president, 
were  engaged  early  in  the  current  year  to  develop  the 
park  and  playground  system. 


86 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Keokuk 

Iowa 

On  the  initiative  and,  largely,  at  the  expense  of  the 
Industrial  Association  ot  Keokuk  (14,008),  John  Nolen, 
of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  prepared  a  preliminary  plan  for 
the  city  in  191J.  The  report  submitted  by  Mr.  Nolen 
covered  only  the  essential  elements  for  improving  and 
extending  the  city,  including  an  analysis  ot  the  system  of 
main  highways,  a  list  of  the  important  properties  to  be 
acquired  sooner  or  later  for  public  use,  and  a  definition 
of  the  genera!  purposes  which  such  properties  were 
intended  to  serve. 

Natural  Advantages. — Keokuk  has  an  unusually  good 
location  for  a  city.  It  is  admirably  situated  on  the  Missis- 
sippi River  and  is  surrounded  by  broad  areas  ot  rich  and 
relatively  inexpensive  land;  it  has  a  large  "back  country," 
and  possesses  convenient  connection  by  railroad  to  Chi- 
cago, St.  Louis,  and  other  large  neighboring  cities.  With 
these  facilities  there  has  now  been  added  the  great  dam 
for  the  Mississippi  River,  the  construction  ot  which  has 
recently  been  completed,  at  a  cost  of  many  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars,  by  the  Mississippi  River  Power 
Company,  and  which  will  provide  200,000  electric 
horsepower.  Yet  with  all  these  advantages,  Keokuk  has 
heretofore  been  seriously  handicapped  in  its  growth  by 
certain  unfavorable  characteristics  of  its  plan,  which  Mr. 
Nolen  points  out  and  for  which  he  makes  certain  definite 
recommendations. 

Kingston 

New  York 

The  Mayor  ot  Kingston  (26,771)  Palmer  Canfield,  Jr., 
introduced  an  ordinance  in  1916  for  the  appointment  of  a 
city  planning  commission,  but  the  motion  was  voted  down 
by  the  Common  Council.  Up  to  this  time,  Kingston  has 
had  neither  a  city  planning  commission,  improvement 
commission,  nor  housing  commission.  With  the  impetus 
given  to  city  planning  by  the  State  Bureau  of  Municipal 
Information,  ot  which  William  P.  Capes  is  secretary, 
Kingston  should  soon  adopt  some  measure  for  pushing 
this  most  important  phase  of  municipal  activity. 

Knoxville 

Tennessee 

The  organization  of  forces  for  comprehensive  citv 
planning  work  in  Knoxville  (38,676)  is  now  under  way, 
with  the  City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Knoxville  Board 
of  Commerce  as  the  leader.  The  latter  Committee,  organ- 
ized originally  in  1914,  was  reorganized  in  1917.  Charles 
Zueblin,  publicist,  and  Dwight  H.  Perkins,  member  of 
the  American  Institute  of  .Architects,  have  delivered  lec- 
tures under  the  auspices  of  the  City  Beautiful  League, 
and  John  Ihlder,  now  secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  Hous- 
ing Association,  recently  lectured  for  the  Russell  Sage 
Foundation  in  Knoxville.  One  of  the  results  directly 
traceable  to  this  publicity  was  the  purchase  of  park  plots 
for  which  the  city  appropriated  $50,000  in  1916. 


Knoxville  has  just  enlarged  her  boundaries  and  become 
"Greater  Knoxvdle" — following  the  passage  ot  a  bill 
through  the  legislature  and  signed  by  the  Governor  in 
March,  1917.  The  population  of  the  city,  it  is  estimated, 
is  more  than  doubled,  and  new  problems  of  city  extension 
must  be  .solved,  which  make  the  need  for  comprehensive 
city  planning  even  more  urgent. 

There  is  a  Social  Survey  Committee  and  a  Housing 
Committee  of  the  Board  of  Commerce  which  are  giving 
their  support  to  movements  for  social  betterment.  Mrs. 
T.  D.  Tyson  is  president  of  the  City  Beautiful  League,  and 
Charles  .A.  Barber  and  Benjamin  McMurray,  architects, 
are  serving  on  the  Citv  Plannmg  Committee  ot  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  ot  which  Joseph  Bowles  is 
secretary. 

La  Crosse 

Wisconsin 

The  most  striking  and  characteristic  features  of  the  site 
ot  La  Crosse  (31,677)  are  the  Mississippi  River  on  the  east 
and  the  high  and  rugged  bluffs  on  the  west  affording  un- 
usual opportunities  for  the  creation  of  a  park  system.  In 
1908  the  city  had  made  no  organized  effort  to  provide 
parks,  yet  today  it  has  a  substantial  framework  for  a 
comprehensive  park  system  that  is  equaled  by  few,  if 
any,  cities  of  the  same  size.  The  first  park  acquisition 
resulted  from  the  generosity  of  a  citizen  who  gave  to  the 
city  a  beautiful  and  picturesque  island  in  the  Mississippi 
Ri\-er,  which  might  easily  rival  the  famous  Belle  Isle  Park 
ot  Detroit  when  fully  developed.  In  1908,  with  the 
appointment  of  a  Park  Commission,  John  Nolen  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  was  employed  to  lay  out  a  comprehensive 
plan  of  parks,  playgrounds,  and  connecting  boulevards. 
With  the  submission  of  his  report,  a  real  nucleus  for  a 
park  system  was  immediately  secured  through  the  gener- 
osity of  citizens  in  La  Crosse,  supported  by  the  City 
Council.  The  procedure  in  La  Crosse  in  developing  the 
system  is  one  that  should  interest  all  communities  in  the 
country  who  are  contemplatmg  a  campaign  tor  the  develop- 
ment or  improvement  ot  their  parks.  It  is  well  described 
in  a  little  book  published  by  the  Park  Commission  in  191 1 
entitled  "The  Making  ot  a  Park  System  tor  La  Crosse." 
There  has  been  a  noticeable  awakening  of  civic  pride  and 
of  interest  in  civic  affairs  generally  since  the  Parks  have 
been  established,  which  has  more  than  compensated  those 
who  have  headed  the  movement  with  money  and  personal 
effort.  In  1916  a  Bureau  for  Civic  Improvement  was 
organized  as  a  part  of  the  activity  of  the  new  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  H.  N.  Hixon,  chairman  of  the  Park  Board,  is 
a  leader  in  city  planning  and  park  improvement. 

.Aside  from  its  parks,  however.  La  Crosse  has  done 
almost  nothing  to  plan  tor  its  future  growth.  Desirable 
as  the  parks  are  they  are  only  a  small  part  of  what  is 
necessary  for  a  scientifically  rounded  out  plan. 

Lancaster 

Pennsylvania 

Civic  organizations  ot  Lancaster  (50,853)  are  consider- 
ing the  employment  of  a  city  planning  expert  to  prepare  a 


CITY    PLANNINC;    PRCKiRESS 


87 


La  Crosse. — Levee  Park,  as  It  Will  Appear  When  Completed. 
The  methods  adopted  by  LaCrosse   in  acquiring  and  developing   a   park  system  are  ot  special   interest   and   value  to   the  sm.dl 
cities  at  work  on  the  park  problem. 


general  comprehensive  plan  nt  the  city  and  its  environs. 
C.  Enilen  L'rban,  member  of  the  .'\merican  Institute  ot 
Architects,  is  chairman  of  one  of  the  committees  having 
the  matter  in  charge.  Lancaster  is  one  of  the  third  class 
cities  of  Pennsylvania  and  would  thus  come  under  the 
Pennsylvania  Law  of  191,),  authorizing  the  appointment 
of  city  planning  commissions  in  such  cities  and  defining 
their  powers.  The  city  has,  however,  an  old  and  special 
charter  under  which  it  is  impossible  to  create  a  planning 
body  in  accordance  with  this  act,  and  it  is  likely  that  steps 
will  be  taken  to  secure  a  change  in  the  charter  or  the  pas- 
sage of  an  act  that  will  permit  the  city  to  engage  in  city 
planning,  as  provided  for  other  third  class  cities.  The 
Chamber  of  Commerce  is  back  of  the  new  city  planning 
movement,  and  others  actively  supporting  it  are  M.  T. 
Garvin  and  Charles  Newbold. 

Terminals. — Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  has  been  consulted  recently  and  has  submitted  a 
report  on  a  site  tor  the  proposed  new  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road passenger  terminal,  and  an  effort  is  now  being  made 
to  get  the  people  of  the  city  to  endorse  his  plan.  The 
problem  involves  the  unification  ot  two  railroads  in  one 
station  and  the  construction  ot  a  bridge  over  the  right  of 
way. 

Recreation. — One  ot  the  field  secretaries  of  the  Play- 
ground and  Recreation  Association  of  America  has  re- 
cently been  engaged  to  study  the  recreation  problem  in 
Lancaster  and  is  now  preparmg  his  report.    The  city  has 


three  parks,  two  acquired  by  private  donations  and  one 
by  purchase. 

Lawrence 

Massachusetts 

The  original  plan  of  Lawrence  (100,560),  laid  out  by  the 
Kssex  Company  in  1845,  showed  unusual  foresight,  par- 
ticularly in  the  provision  of  highways  for  local  traffic,  but 
today  a  complete  schedule  ot  street-widths  made  by  the 
Planning  Board  shows  that  nowhere  are  they  closely  re- 
lated to  the  probable  requirements  ot  traffic.  Then,  too, 
Lawrence  is  hampered  by  its  restricted  city  limits.  It  has 
a  very  small  territory,  comprising  about  yj/j  square  miles. 
This  restricted  area  has  its  manifest  disadvantages  for  a 
city  growing  as  rapidly  as  Lawrence  has  grown  in  the  past. 
Over  one-third  of  the  population  of  the  city  lives  on  one- 
third  of  its  area.  The  reputation  of  the  city  has  not  been 
bettered  by  the  situation  in  regard  to  housing.  The 
crowded  portions  of  the  central  part  of  the  city,  with  their 
four-story  wooden  blocks,  introduce  serious  problems 
afl^ecting  a  large  proportion  of  the  residents  and  workers 
in  the  city.  In  fact,  it  was  this  situation  that  led  to  the 
making  of  an  exhaustive  "survey  of  Lawrence,"  in  191  2, 
with  the  so-called  "White  Fund." 

Housing  Law. — It  was  natural  that  the  first  activities 
of  the  City  Planning  Board  (organized  under  the  Massa- 
chusetts -Acts  of  191,1,  Chap.  494)  should  hinge  about  the 


88 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


preparation  of  a  Iniilding  code.  On  this  subject  Charles 
W.  Killam,  memher  of  the  Commission  to  investigate 
building  regulations  in  Massachusetts,  advised  the  Board, 
and  the  Commission's  recommendations  have  been  adopted 
by  the  city  and  are  now  law. 

Thoroughfares. — The  next  logical  step  the  City  Planning 
Board  took  was  a  study  of  the  thoroughfare  system  of 
Lawrence.  The  Board  employed  Arthur  C.  Comey, 
landscape  architect,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  to  submit  a 
program  of  city  planning  work  and  to  make  a  study  ot  the 
thoroughfare  system.  This  report  contains  information 
which  should  be  ot  value  to  commissions  in  different  parts 
of  the  country  who  are  seeking  light  on  a  plan  ot  action. 
Its  contribution  to  the  study  ot  thoroughtare  problems  is 
of  real  value,  particularly  in  connection  with  the  improve- 
ment of  traffic  conditions,  the  preservation  of  natural 
routes  for  pleasure  driving,  and  in  reducing  the  cost  of 
street  construction  in  general. 

River  Development. — One  improvement  in  the  city  plan 
of  Lawrence  which  is  especially  emphasized  in  the  report 
is  the  development  ot  the  Spicket  River  tor  the  length  ot 
a  mile  within  the  city.  This  particular  project  can  be 
easily  realized.  The  program  for  a  new  park  system  and 
for  connecting  boulevards,  to  be  developed  jointly  with 
adjacent  towns,  is  one  that  should  commend  itself  to  the 
people  of  Lawrence,  who  are  unfortunately  deprived  ot 
the  opportunity  to  acquire  adequate  open  spaces  within 
the  present  restricted  limits  of  the  city. 

Lexington 

Kentucky 

Recent  civic  achievements  in  Lexington  (41,097)  have 
centered  about  the  maintenance  of  a  system  of  sanitation. 
The  lack  of  provisions  for  adequate  sewage  disposal  be- 
came rapidly  more  dangerous  year  by  year  until  it  reached 
a  point  where  something  had  to  be  done,  not  only  for  the 
protection  ot  the  health  ot  the  people  ot  Lexington,  but 
for  the  welfare  of  the  neighboring  townships.  The  Board 
ot  Commerce,  composed  ot  nearly  1,000  business  men,  has 
cooperated  in  a  city-wide  movement  in  this  direction. 
The  people  of  Lexington  voted  in  November,  191 5,  to 
issue  bonds  for  the  purpose  of  constructing  a  modern  sew- 
age disposal  system  which  was  the  one  thing  above  all 
which  was  needed  to  place  Lexington  in  the  rank  of  pro- 
gressive cities  of  America.  By  1918  Lexington  will  have  a 
modern  system  of  sewage  purification. 

Housing. — Lexington  is  extremely  fortunate  in  that  it 
does  not  possess  the  harrassing  tenement  problem  which 
many  of  the  eastern  cities  have  to  contend  with.  It  fias, 
however,  a  housing  problem  ot  sufficient  gravity  to  be  of 
vital  concern  to  the  health  and  efficiency  of  the  entire 
community.  In  place  of  the  tenements,  we  find  the  single- 
family  house,  but  built  in  such  close  proximity  that  its 
fundamentals — light,  fresh-air,  and  privacy — have  been 
suppressed,  and  in  their  place  many  evils  of  the  large  tene- 
ments have  found  a  foothold.  Today  the  city  is  housing 
about  one-third  of  her  population  in  buildings  which  re- 
quire immediate  remodelling  or  complete  demolition. 
About  two  years  ago  there  was  a  revival  of  interest  in 
housing,  and  a  housing  inspector  was  employed  who  had 


done  excellent  work  in  Cincinnati.  This  work  did  not 
meet  with  the  favor  ot  the  city  officials,  and  housing  work 
was  dropped.  Dr.  N.  R.  Simmons  is  the  present  health 
officer.  Among  those  interested  in  the  civic  advance  of 
Lexington  are  Mrs.  W.  Lafferty,  president  ot  the  Wom- 
en's Club,  Prof.  C.  R.  Mulcher,  Harry  S.  Brower,  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Commerce,  and  Dr.  W.  O.  Bullock, 
president  of  the  Clean  City  Club. 

Lima 

Ohio 

A  tentative  plan  for  the  lievelopment  of  Lima  (35,384) 
was  prepared  in  1915  byWilhelm  Bernhard,ot  Chicago,  111. 
This  plan,  in  addition  to  providing  tor  a  civic  center,  park 
reservations,  and  thoroughfares,  is  intimately  linked  with 
a  garden  city  site  located  2  miles  southwest  of  the  heart 
of  the  city,  in  what  is  known  as  the  Country  Club  District, 
and  at  the  highest  altitude  around  the  city.  The  latter 
development  is  being  carried  out  through  private  initiative 
and  tor  the  purpose  of  providing  homes  tor  employees  in 
various  industrial  plants  in  Lima.  It  embraces  nearly  500 
acres  ot  rolling  land.  Ravines,  cutting  through  the  site, 
afford  excellent  natural  drainage,  and  attractive  valleys 
provide  exceptional  opportunities  for  a  pleasing  and  in- 
formal layout  of  residential  sites  and  open  spaces.  A  dis- 
tinctive feature  in  the  scheme — a  neighborhood  center — 
is  to  be  built  around  a  public  square  near  the  entrance  to 
the  tract,  where  will  be  provided  space  for  several  stores, 
accommodations  tor  the  social  activities  ot  the  community, 
a  library,  and  a  number  ot  modern  apartments.  Another 
feature  is  a  central  garage  and  dairy  constructed  on  modern 
lines  around  a  court  in  one  of  the  ravines.  Liberal  areas 
for  parks  have  been  set  aside. 

Lincoln 

Nebraska 

Lincoln  (46,516),  the  capital  city,  has  a  Municipal  Plan 
Commission,  organized  in  1912,  by  ordinance  ot  the  City 
Council,  which  employed  the  American  Park  Builders 
Association  of  Chicago,  of  which  Myron  H.  West  is  presi- 
dent, to  prepare  plans  for  the  park  system  and  playgrounds 
and  other  general  improvements  related  thereto.  These 
plans  were  submitted  to  the  Plan  Commission  but  were 
not  officially  accepted.  The  Plan  Commission  has  not 
been  particularly  active  tor  the  past  year. 

Little  Rock 

Arkansas 

The  Parkways  Association  of  Little  Rock  (57,343),  of 
which  W.  L.  Hemingway  is  president,  employed  John 
Nolen,  landscape  architect,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1908, 
to  prepare  plans  tor  a  system  of  parks  and  boulevards  for 
the  city.  A  fund  of  $3,500  for  this  work  was  raised  by  pub- 
lic subscription  and  by  the  appropriations  ot  city  and  county 
officials.  The  report  which  Mr.  Nolen  submitted  is  a 
30-page  document,  with  a  number  ot  interesting  illustra- 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRKSS 


89 


tions,  and  contains  a  program  tor  progressive  acquire- 
ments for  park  and  lK)ulevard  purposes.  In  its  initial 
stages  this  program  calls  tor  an  outlay  of  ^400,000,  to  be 
raised  bv  bond  issue.  The  areas  recommended  for  acqui- 
sition and  development  are  classified  as:  (c/)  city  squares, 
civic  center  and  capitol  grounds;  (i)  schoolgrounils  and 
athletic  tields;  (c)  route  for  main  avenue;  (</)  encircling 
parks  and  parkways;  (c)  reservations.  .As  a  result  ot  this 
effort  playgrounds  about  the  schools  have  been  put  on  a 
basis  of  efficiency,  two  parks  have  been  acquired,  ot  which 
one  has  been  improved,  and  the  park  movement  has  been 
given  a  eieciilcd  impetus  which  shows  no  sign  of  abatement. 


resultant  tax  on  existing  public  services  will  bring  about 
some  action,  public  or  private,  to  secure  a  broad  plan  for 

future  development. 


Los  Angeles 

California 

The  first  real  effort  to  bring  about  an  improvement  in 
the  city  plan  of  Los  .'\ngeles  (50.3,812)  was  made  by  the 
Municipal  .■\rt  Commission  in  1909.  The  Commission,  of 
which  h.  \V.  Hlanchard  was  chairman,  secured  an  appro- 


CITYOF  LITTLE  ROCK 

ARKANSAS 

C,ENEr<AL  FEATURL5  OT  A  PARK  SYSTEM 

fOR  Tut  OTY  AND   trJVIHONS 


Little  Rock.. — General  Features  ot 


Lorain 

Ohio 

The  Board  of  Commerce  of  Lorain  (36,964)  has  gone 
into  certain  phases  ot  city  planning  through  its  Housing 
Committee,  organized  in  January,  1917.  This  Committee 
is  engaged  in  a  campaign  to  secure  more  houses  for  em- 
ployees in  the  rapidly  developing  industries  in  the  city. 

Parks. — The  city  has  40  acres  of  parks,  quite  inadequate 
for  a  city  ot  its  size — 300  acres  is  a  reasonable  requirement. 
The  purchase  of  a  lakefront  park  in  1916  is  evidence  of  an 
awakening  in  this  direction. 

Port. — There  is  a  good  harbor  with  4  miles  of  navigable 
river  frontage  and  some  wharfage.  It  is  only  a  question  of 
time   before   the   rapidly   increasing   population   and    the 


vards  with 


Ian  for  Ci\tc  CLiircr. 


priation  from  the  City  Council  permitting  them  to  engage 
Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  of  Rochester,  to  prepare  a  plan. 
Mr.  Robinson  came  to  Los  Angeles  and  made  a  very  care- 
ful studv  and  examination  of  existing  conditions,  and  frf)m 
that  formulated  and  prepared  a  very  broad  and  practical 
plan.  This  report  was  approved  by  the  Municipal  .Art 
Commission  and  presented  to  the  City  Council  and  was 
officiallv  approved  bv  that  body.  Mr.  Robinson's  report 
contained  minor  suggestions  as  to  details  of  the  plan,  but 
the  principal  features  of  his  report  dealt  with  tour  great 
schemes:  (i)  .\  union  station  and  its  approaches;  (2)  an 
administrative  center;  (3)  an  intellectual,  artistic  and 
scientific  center;  and  (4)  a  comprehensive  park  and  boule- 
vard system.  Unfortunately,  the  approval  of  the  plan  by 
the  City  Council  meant  nothing  more  than  an  endorsement 
of  Mr.  Robinson's  proposals.    His  plan  was  not  ratitieii  by 


90 


CITY    PLANNING    PROGRESS 


the  citv  authorities  in  a  manner  that  meant  an  irrevocable 
commitment  to  its  provisions  or  any  ot  them.  Hardly  had 
the  plan  been  made  public  before  part  ot  it  was  made  im- 
possible by  the  action  ot  the  county  authorities  in  con- 
structing a  building  tor  administrative  otTices,  which  dis- 
arranged the  whole  scheme  for  the  administrative  center. 
One  or  two  ot  the  suggestions,  however,  have  been  carried 
out,  but  with  these  exceptions  the  plan  has  never  been 
followed. 

Cil\  Planning  .issociation. — Mr.  Robinson's  studies  and 
proposals  have  served  to  quicken  the  interest  and  enthu- 
siasm of  all  those  who  have  given  thought  to  the  city  plan- 
ning needs  of  Los  .Angeles,  and  particularly  to  those  who 
have  been  backing  a  more  recent  movement  under  the 
City  Planning  .Association,  an  unofficial  organization 
formed  in  1914.  This  Association  serves  as  a  clearing- 
house for  civic  ideas.  C.  J.  Colden  is  president;  Siegfried 
Goetze,  a  member  of  the  American  Institute  ot  Architects, 
is  vice-president;  and  G.  Gordon  Whitnall  is  corresponding 
secretary.  With  this  Association  the  Southern  California 
Chapter  of  the  .American  Institute  of  .Architects  is  cooperat- 
ing. Efforts  are  being  directed  to  secure  the  appointment 
of  an  official  commission  provided  with  sufficient  funds  to 
enable  it  to  carry  on  comprehensive  city  planning  as  pro- 
vided in  the  Calitornia  state  law.  From  time  to  time  sepa- 
rate organizations  have  suggested  and  obtained  certain 
improvements  in  the  building  of  the  city,  but  for  compre- 
hensive work  it  seems  necessary  to  secure  the  joint  efforts 
of  all  the  organizations  that  are  working  for  city  planning, 
under  the  leadership  of  the  City  Plan  Association,  and 
that  is  the  direction  in  which  city  planning  in  Los  Angeles 
is  tending.  It  is  anticipated  that  in  the  present  year  the 
machinery  for  obtaining  a  broad  survey  and  comprehensive 
city  plan  will  be  put  in  motion. 

Remarkable  Gro'wtli  0/  City. — But  a  little  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  centurv  ago,  Los  .Angeles  was  an  adobe  pueblo. 
Today  it  is  a  metropolis  with  over  a  halt  million  population. 
Its  rapid  growth  in  area  and  population  is  unparalleled  in 
city  building.  In  twenty-five  years  450  miles  of  new  streets 
have  been  constructed;  systems  and  schemes  ot  health  and 
sanitation  carefully  planned  tor  future  generations  have 
been  abandoned  or  enlarged  and  multiplied  many  times. 
.A  water-supply  that  seemed  adequate  tor  almost  all  future 
growth  has  long  since  proven  inadequate,  and  in  its  place 
a  system  has  been  substituted,  bringing  water  from  sources 
240  miles  away.  Once  an  inland  city,  the  city  is  now  a 
seaport  ot  the  Pacific.  By  a  procedure,  unparalleled  in 
.America  there  has  been  annexed  contiguous  territory, 
running  to  the  harbor  city  of  Wilmington  and  the  harbor 
and  ocean  front  city  of  San  Pedro,  18  miles  distant.  The 
latter  cities,  abandoning  their  corporate  entity,  have  be- 
come an  integral  part  of  a  great  Pacific  coast  harbor,  of 
which  Los  Angeles  is  the  nucleus.  Thus,  in  a  little  over  a 
century  ago,  from  a  Mexican  settlement  of  a  few  hundred 
inhabitants,  Los  Angeles  has  grown  until  it  covers  an  area 
of  nearly  100  square  miles,  running  from  the  San  Ber- 
nardino baseline  to  the  sea,  more  than  35  miles  distant. 
The  only  cities  in  this  country  exceeding  it  in  area  are 
New  York,  Chicago,  New  Orleans,  and  Philadelphia.  It 
is  the  great  tasks  above  described  with  which  the  city  has 
been  coping  that  has  made  it  difficult  for  the  authorities, 
to  give  serious  thought  to  the  problem  ot  planning  in  a 


comprehensive  way  for  the  improvement  of  the  existing 
plan  and  for  the  future  extension  of  the  city  along  rational 
lines.  Los  Angeles  is  badly  in  need  ot  a  comprehensive 
plan  of  this  character,  and  it  is  the  aim  of  the  City  Plan 
.Association  and  others  interested  to  create  sentiment  that 
will  force  the  adoption  ot  measures  designed  to  accom- 
plish this  end. 

Louisville 

Kentucky 

The  City  Improvement  Commission  ot  Louisville 
(238,910)  was  organized  under  an  ordinance  of  the  City 
Council  in  February,  1913,  with  J.  C.  Murphy,  member  ot 
the  .American  Institute  of  Architects,  as  chairman.  Mr. 
Murphv  has  for  many  years  consistently  advocated  the 
comprehensive  planning  of  Louisville. 

The  fVork  0/ the  Commission. — The  City  Improvement 
Commission  has  never  received  an  appropriation  from  the 
City  Council  but  continues  in  existence  under  the  guidance 
of  the  Engineers'  and  Architects'  Club  of  Louisville.  The 
Commission's  chief  aim  is  to  secure  an  appropriation  of 
530,000  to  conduct  a  comprehensive  survey  and  to  make 
from  this  survey  practical  recommendations  tor  the 
development  of  thoroughfares,  the  elimination  ot  grade 
crossings,  the  location  and  development  of  the  Union 
Station,  the  allocation  of  parks,  playgrounds,  and  small 
recreation  centers,  the  grouping  ot  public  buildings,  the 
development  of  the  waterfront  for  commercial  and  recre- 
ational usage,  and  the  like. 

Parks  and  Thoroughjares. — Louisville  has  a  considerable 
park  acreage.  There  are  three  large  outlying  parks  con- 
taining about  1,300  acres  and  ten  containing  85  acres. 
There  are  nearly  1 1  miles  of  parkway  completed  and  about 
3  miles  in  contemplation.  Louisville  is  particularly  back- 
ward in  the  planning  of  streets  and  street  improvements 
on  a  comprehensive  scale. 

Lowell 

Massachusetts 

The  city  of  Lowell  (i  13,245)  has  not  yet  participated  in 
the  movement  for  comprehensive  city  planning.  The  city 
is  situated  26  miles  from  Boston,  with  frequent  communica- 
tion, both  by  railroad  and  electric  car  service.  In  the  manu- 
facturing establishments  there  were,  in  1914,  an  average 
of  30,000  persons  employed  with  average  earnings  of  I9 
per  week,  but  the  numbers  of  these  workers  and  their 
wages  have  increased  since  the  beginning  of  the  European 
war.  The  growing  population,  the  higher  cost  of  living,  and 
the  difficulty  of  obtaining  wholesome  homes  are  serious 
problems  for  all  of  the  working  people.  However,  the  city 
is  not  so  much  afflicted  with  the  tenement  evil  as  are  many 
other  cities  in  the  state.  The  density  of  population,  11.8 
persons  per  acre,  is  low  enough  to  indicate  that  there  is 
a  considerable  amount  of  available  unoccupied  land  within 
the  city  limits.  Actually,  there  are  at  least  4,000  acres 
unused,  or  about  44  per  cent  of  the  total  area  within  the 
city  limit.  The  asking  price  for  these  vacant  lands  suit- 
able for  building  purposes  within  the  city  limits  varies 
from  S450  to  5s,ooo  per  acre. 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRF.SS 


91 


Honic'steud  Commission  Experiment.  — Consitieration  <>t 
the  foregoing  conditions  influenced  the  Massachusetts 
Homestead  Commission,  in  1916,  to  select  Lowell  as  a 
suitable  place  in  which  to  make  a  demonstration  of  an 
experiment  to  ascertain  the  teasiliility  and  desirability  of 
state  encouragement  to  increase  the  supply  ot  homesteads 
tor  workins;  people.  The  Commission  had  no  authority 
and  no  tunds  to  take  options  on  land,  so  it  did  not  com- 
mit itself  or  the  Commonwealth  to  any  obligation  whatso- 
ever. Three  parcels  ot  land  were  selected  tor  examination 
and  study.  The  tract  chosen  in  urban  Lowell  is  inter- 
mediate between  the  central  portion  and  the  larger  vacant 
tracts  in  the  suburbs.  It  is  convenient  to  the  center  of  the 
city  by  trolley  lines  and  to  manufacturing  districts.  The 
tract  lies  well  within  the  area  in  which  workingmen  arc 
seeking  homes,  and  was  selected  atter  a  careful  study  ot 
the  topography,  the  average  amount  which  could  be  used 
tor  the  purchase  ot  land,  based  on  the  earnings  ot  the 
workingmen,  the  probable  requirements  in  respect  to 
rooms  and  garden  space,  and  the  needs  ot  traffic.  CaretuI 
study  was  given  to  all  of  the  fundamental  problems  ot 
housing  and  subdivision.  The  plans  for  this  area  and  the 
other  tracts  studied  are  fully  explained  in  the  Fourth 
.Annual  Report  of  the  Massachusetts  Homestead  Com- 
mission (1916)  and  present  an  interesting  solution  of  the 
problem  ot  land  subdivision  and  house  construction  which 
should  prove  ot  value  to  hundreds  of  other  cities  in  .America. 
While  they  may  not  be  entirely  beyond  criticism,  it  is  be- 
lieved that  they  are  feasible  and  practical.  The  Commis- 
sion does  not  recommend  that  the  Commonwealth  enter 
the  real  estate  business  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  whole- 
some homes  for  workers,  no  matter  how  great  the  social  or 
mdividual  need  may  be,  but  only  recommends  the  applica- 
tion for  a  single  experiment  or  demonstration  to  learn 
whether  it  is  financially  possible  to  supply  such  homes  for 
such  workers,  what  are  the  prices  and  policies  upon  which 
such  an  undertaking  should  proceed,  what  are  the  dangers, 
what  should  be  the  limitations.  The  recommendations 
are  embodied  in  a  bill  which  has  been  submitted  to  the 
legislature. 


Lynchburg 

Virginia 


The  city  of  Lynchburg  (32,940)  has  made  great  prog- 
ress in  recent  years  in  providing  modern  municipal 
improvements  and  those  things  which  go  to  make  tor 
industrial  and  commercial  advance.  Grades  have  been 
modified,  ravines  bridged,  streets  widened,  paved  ami 
sewered,  and  most  ot  the  conveniences  installed  which  a 
modern  city  requires. 

The  Hills. — The  city  has  the  reputation  ot  being  one  ot 
the  hilliest  cities  in  America.  For  many  years  this  unusual 
topography  was  considered  a  handicap  to  development 
because  of  the  added  cost  and  peculiar  difficulties  that  it 
placed  in  the  way  ot  paving,  sewering,  and  the  like.  But 
even  the  hills  are  rapidly  becoming  an  asset  by  enabling 
the  plans  tor  several  improvements  to  be  carried  out  on  a 
scale  impossible  where  the  topography  ot  the  outlying 
country  of  the  city  itself  is  level. 

Water-Supply. — In  1908  Lynchburg  completed  a 
modern  waterworks  system  at  a  cost  of  over  ?i, 000,000. 


Water  is  brought  by  gravity  from  a  mountain  stream  17 
miles  west. 

Notwithstanding  the  very  creditable  progress  which 
the  city  has  made,  there  is  no  city  planning  or  civic 
improvement  commission  at  work  to  keep  pace  with  its 
rapidly  increasing  needs  and  growths. 

Lynn 

Massachusetts 

The  Chamber  ot  Commerce  of  Lynn  (102,425),  of 
which  Wm.  H.  Day,  Jr.,  is  secretary,  has  for  several 
years  urged  that  a  city  planning  board  be  appointed,  but 
the  spirit  ot  coi'iperation  on  the  part  of  the  city  govern- 
ment has  been  lacking.  In  recent  years  little  has  been 
accomplished  by  the  city  in  effective  city  planning. 

Parks. — .\  beautiful  ocean-front  park,  about  a  mile 
long,  is  one  of  the  features  of  Lynn.  It  is  under  the 
authority  of  the  Boston  Metropolitan  Park  Commission- 
ers and  is  a  part  of  the  great  metropolitan  park  system 
of  Boston.  The  city  owns  2,200  acres  of  park  land,  part 
acquired  by  purchase  and  part  by  donation.  The  parks 
were  not  laid  out  according  to  any  preconceived  plan. 

Harbor  and  Reclamation  IVork. — .A  general  develop- 
ment of  the  harbor  of  Lynn  is  now  under  way,  and  the 
material  excavated  from  the  channels  and  harbor  dis- 
trict is  being  used  to  reclaim  flats  for  industrial  purposes. 
.Already  ,?q  acres  of  land  have  been  acquired  in  this  way. 

Grade  Crossings  and  Streets. — Grade  crossing  elimina- 
tion was  undertaken  in  1913  at  a  cost  of  32,000,000.  No. 
regular  plans  have  been  devised  for  the  extension  of  the 
street  systems  or  the  development  of  the  central  district. 

Macon 

Georgia 

In  Macon  (45,757),  streets  are  wide,  parks  are  abun- 
dantly supplied  with  trees  and  shrubbery,  and  problems  of 
congestion  of  traffic  or  people  have  not  been  pressing.  The 
number  and  size  of  parks  for  a  city  of  its  population  are, 


"aKSLy^asiag;; 


,'.^'^K 


Macon. — New     Passenger     Terminal,     with     Well-Oniereii 
.Approaches  and  .Attractive  .Architectural  'I'reatment. 

however,  very  limited.  There  is  one  park,  18  acres,  called 
Tatnall  Square  Park,  and  there  is  also  what  is  called 
Central  Park,  which  is  used  as  the  state  fair  grounds. 
These  are  quite  inadequate  for  a  modern  city.  There  are 
four  playgrounds,  one  of  them  occupying  a  section  in  the 


92 


CITY    PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Madison. 
is  Today. 


-State  Street,  One  of  the  Capitol  Approaclies  as  It 


Madison. — State  Street,  as  Proposed  witli  Poles  and  Wires 
Removed  and  Dignified  Business  Buildings  Lining  the  Sidewalks. 

Tatnall  Square  Park.  .All  ot  these  playgrounds  have 
up-to-date  apparatus. 

Termiua/  Station. — Macon  is  not  an  industrial  city, 
strictly  speaking,  but  depends  tor  its  livelihood  on  the 
surrounding  rural  districts.  There  is,  however,  every 
evidence  that  the  city  will,  in  time,  become  a  producer 
and  a  real  industrial  community.  The  new  million  dollar 
terminal  station,  covering  two  city  blocks,  opened  for 
inspection  on  December  i,  1916,  is  one  sign  of  the  increas- 
ing importance  of  the  commercial  and  industrial  life  of  the 
city. 

Institutions. — Macon  is  also  the  seat  of  Mercer  Uni- 
versity, with  spacious  grounds  well  cared  tor.  There  is 
also  the  Wesleyan  Female  College,  the  oldest  chartered 
female  college  in  the  world,  with  fine  grounds.  With  the 
rapid  development  of  the  industrial  life  of  the  community, 
which  is  now  going  on  particularly  in  the  pottery  indus- 
try, the  population  of  Macon  will,  in  all  probability,  jump 
by  leaps  and  bounds  in  the  next  decade.  Macon  needs  a 
comprehensive  plan  now,  a  broad  program  for  meeting  the 
anticipated  needs  ot  a  growing  city,  and  there  is  every 
evidence  that  there  are  among  her  people  those  who  are 
fitted  to  serve  as  leaders  in  this  work. 


Madison 

Wisconsin 

The  Parks  and  Pleasure  Grounds  .Association  is,  and 
has  been,  the  active  supporter  ot  all  movements  tor  a 
broader  development  ot  Madison  (30,699)  along  city  plan- 
ning lines.  Under  the  inspiring  and  compelling  leadership 
of  John  N.  Olin,  this  .Association  established  a  splendid 
rect)rd.  For  twenty-two  years,  with  steadily  increasing 
success,  it  has  secured  donations  and  raised  yearly  tunds 
tor  the  development  ot  a  first-class  park  system.  It  has 
organized  its  work  with  all  the  effectiveness  characteristic 
ot  the  best  private  business  enterprises.  Today  the  city  is 
possessed  of  269  acres  of  parks  and  about  8  miles  of  front- 
age, for  park  purposes,  on  lakes,  almost  exclusively  the 
result  ot  the  work  ot  the  Association  in  securing  donations 
and  raising  subscriptions. 

City  Plan  Committee. — In  1909  the  .Association  was 
instrumental  in  organizing  the  Citizen's  City  Plan  Com- 
mittee which,  through  private  subscriptions,  raised  tunds 
to  employ  John  Nolen,  ot  Cambridge,  to  prepare  a  plan 
tor  the  future  development  of  the  city  along  comprehen- 
sive lines.  This  plan  was  published  in  a  report  of  168 
pages,  with  many  illustrations,  under  the  tile  ot  "Madison, 
a  Model  City."  Mr.  Nolen  discussed  the  big  topographical 
features  ot  the  city  site  and  the  shortcoming  ot  the  existing 
plan.  The  original  plan  ol  Madison  was  dratted  in  l8j6 
and  gave  no  consideration  to  the  real  requirements  ot  a 
peculiar  topography.    It  provided  the  usual  gridiron  system 


I 


Madison. — State  Capitol,  Located  on  a  Square  Set  aside  tor 
the  Purpose  in  the  Original  City  Plan  of  i8j6. 

The  building  is  so  planned  that  a  fine  portico  terminates  the 
vista  along  each  of  the  diagonal  avenues. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCJRKSS 


93 


of  streets.  It  contained,  however,  one  commendable  fea- 
ture, probably  inspired  by  the  work  of  L'Knfant  in  Wash- 
ington a  quarter-centurv  earlier,  viz.,  tour  radial  streets  of 
inadequate  width  cutting  across  the  gridiron  and  center- 
ing in  the  square  reserved  tor  the  State  Capitol.  There 
was  no  provision  tor  open  spaces,  triangles,  circles,  and, 
strangest  of  all,  the  laketronts,  the  prime  and  only  legiti- 
mate factor  to  justify  the  selection  of  Madison  as  the 
capital  city,  were  ignored  altogether  .so  far  as  public 
utilization  was  concerned. 

The  Propose'//  Plans. — The  Nolen  plan  sought  to  remedy, 
as  far  as  the  existing  conditions  permitted,  some  of  the 
conditions  which  this  neglect  of  the  city's  real  opportuni- 
ties entailed.  The  problem  ot  securing  an  adequate  setting 
tor  the  great  State  Capitol  is  given  special  consideration. 
This  latter  building  was  designed  by  Geo.  B.  Post  &  Sons, 
and  stands  on  the  ground  which  was  set  aside  tor  it  in  the 
original  plan  ot  the  city.  Mr.  Nolen  points  out  that,  out- 
side of  this  one  limited  block  of  ground,  the  state  has 
taken  no  steps  whatever  to  control  or  improve  the  sur- 
roundings ot  its  great  building  or  the  approach  to  it.  In 
discussing  the  University  ot  Wisconsin  as  a  tactor  in  the 
growth  ot  Madison,  he  makes  a  plea  for  better  treatment 
ot  the  landscape  in  the  350  acres  which  are  reserved  for 
University  purposes.  A  special  plea  is  made  for  adequate 
support  by  the  state  of  measures  designed  to  properly 
provide  for  the  civic  needs  of  the  capital  city.  .A  city  park 
system  and  the  planning  ot  other  civic  teatures  for  the 
city  demand  an  official  park  commission,  and  large  and 
permanent  results,  it  is  pointed  out,  will  be  possible  onl\- 
when  the  regular  machinery  ot  the  city  government  is 
called  into  play  and  when  the  city  no  longer  relies  solely  on 
voluntary  action  by  public-spirited  citizens.  In  this  con- 
nection it  is  interesting  to  note  that  by  act  of  the  legisla- 
ture of  Wisconsin  (Chap.  180,  Laws  of  1915)  there  was 
provided  a  comprehensive  plan  for  the  organization  of  the 
city  of  Madison  into  a  park  district  and  a  method  for 
adding  outside  the  city  to  the  park  district  for  park  pur- 
poses. The  law  is  permissive  in  nature  and  made  effective 
only  upon  the  adoption  by  the  City  Council  of  an  ordinance 
to  carry  it  into  effect.  .'Mthough  the  law  has  been  upon  the 
statute  books  for  more  than  a  year,  it  has  not  yet  been 
taken  advantage  of,  and  so  the  Park  and  Pleasure  Drives 
.•Xssociation  is  still  charged  with  the  duties  and  responsi- 
bility ot  administering  Madison's  park  program. 

Recirational  Survey. — A  recreational  survey  was  con- 
ducted by  the  Board  ot  Commerce  of  Madison  in  1914-15. 
This  is  the  first  survey  of  recreation  ever  made  by  a  com- 
mercial organization.  The  work  was  done  by  a  representa- 
tive committee  appointed  by  the  Madison  Board  of  Com- 
merce, including  every  social  and  civic  interest  in  the  city, 
under  the  leadership  of  Clark  W.  Hetherington,  Professor 
of  Physical  Education  in  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 
The  survey  is  scientific  in  method,  comprehensive  in  its 
investigation  of  social  and  educational  aspects  and  is  of 
great  practical  value  in  its  constructive  program  for  en- 
larging the  recreational  facilities  of  the  city. 

Housing. — .\  housing  committee  ot  the  Boarti  of  Com- 
merce is  now  working  on  plans  for  the  improvement  of 
local  housing  conditions,  and  a  committee  of  the  Civic 
Club  is  building  a  number  of  dwellings  for  workingmen 
at  this  time. 


Madison. — City  Plan  and  Park  System,  -Showing  Capitol 
.Square  on  Which  the  Four  Diagonals  Converge. 

Without  official  support,  Madison  has  developed  one  ot  the 
finest  small  park  systems  in  the  country.  The  original  plan  of 
1836  gave  no  consideration  to  the  fine  opportunities  for  lakefront 
parks,  logically  the  only  reason  for  the  selection  o(  Madison  as 
the  capital  city. 


94 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRESS 


Markets. — The  new  municipal  market  in   the  eastern  proper  city  authorities;  and  in  establishing  building  lines 

part  of  the  town  is  extensively  used  by  the  inhabitants.  on  all  main  thoroughfares  to  provide  for  the  gradual  widen- 

Comparative  prices  show  that  it  has  had  a  material  effect  ing  of  streets  to  meet  anticipated  future  needs.     R.  M. 

on  the  cost  of  living  in  Madison.  Shove  is  secretary  of  the  Maiden  City  Planning  Board. 


Maiden 

Massachusetts 

The  Planning  Board  of  Maiden  (51,155),  appointed 
under  authority  of  the  Massachusetts  .'\cts  of  Legislature 
of  1 913,  Chap.  494,  has  given  special  consideration  to  rail- 
way, transit,  and  water  transportation  facilities.  As  the 
Boston  Port  Directors  have  ruled  that  Maiden  River  is  a 
part  of  Boston,  future  work  of  the  Port  Directors  will  pro- 
vide greatly  improved  water-shipping  facilities  for  the 
citv.  The  Board  has  strongly  recommended  the  use  of 
the  right  of  way  of  the  local  branch  of  the  Boston  &  Maine 
Railroad  for  the  trains  of  the  Boston  elevated  rapid  transit, 
and  that  railroad  freight  be  moved  on  this  branch  at  night. 
This  plan  insures  an  economic  adaptation  of  the  existing 
railroad  roadbed,  an  efficient  connecting  link  for  through 
service  between  all  elevated  stations  in  Boston,  Maiden, 
and  other  stations  on  the  branch  line,  and  freedom  from 
street  traffic  blocks.  It  would  enable  the  surface  car  lines 
to  serve  as  feeders  to  rapid  transit  trains  running  on  the 
branch  line.  The  Board  particularly  asks  tor  the  city's 
support  in  the  planting  of  shade  trees  in  the  residential 
streets;  in  compelling  owners  ot  vacant  land,  when  they 
are  ready  to  subdivide,  to  lay  out  all  streets  and  sidewalks 
in  such  manner  and  in  such  width  as  will  be  ordered  by  the 


Manila 

Philippine  Islands 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  insurrection,  the  Philippine 
Commission  proceeded  to  improve  general  living  condi- 
tions in  Manila  (234,409).  In  the  course  of  the  next  few 
years,  the  antiquated,  one-horse  tramway  line  was  replaced 
and  extended  by  a  system  of  electric  lines;  an  abundant 
supply  of  water  was  brought  from  the  mountains  by 
gravity;  and  a  complete  system  of  sanitary  sewerage  was 
installed.  Primarily  for  the  purpose  of  locating  proposed 
public  buildings,  the  Philippine  Commission,  on  the  advice 
of  Mr.  Taft,  then  Secretary  of  War,  induced  Mr.  Burn- 
ham  to  visit  Manila.  He,  with  Peirce  Anderson,  sub- 
mitted, in  1905,  general  recommendations,  not  only  as  to 
the  location  of  buildings,  but  as  to  extensions  of  streets 
and  parks  and  other  improvements.  The  general  plan  of 
improvement  was  adopted  and,  during  the  following  years, 
from  1906  to  1914,  many  features  of  the  plan,  including 
streets,  parks  and  buildings,  were  executed  under  the 
direction  of  \Vm.  E.  Parsons,  consulting  architect. 

Improvements. — Among  the  improvements  executed  is 
the  reclamation  of  a  large  public  garden  on  the  waterfront, 
called  the  New  Luneta,  the  dredging  of  the  harbor  ot 
Manila  providing  filling  material,    ."^t  the  same  time,  sites 


Ma.n-ila. — General  Plan,  with  Important  Public  Buildings  Erected  During  the  Period  from   1906  to  1914  Indicated  in  Black. 


CITY   PLANNING    1>R()(;RKSS 


95 


tor  a  large  hotel  and  tor  clubs  were  provided.  In  similar 
manner,  a  strip  250  teet  wide,  for  over  a  mile  along  the 
waterfront,  was  reclaimed,  torming  the  beginning  ot  a 
bay-shore  boulevard  intended  to  be  extended  to  Cavite, 
skirting  the  shore  ot  Manila  Bay  tor  a  distance  ot  2<;  miles. 
The  unsanitary  moats  surrounding  the  old  .Spanish  tbrti- 
tications  ot  the  original  Intramuros  were  converted  into 
public  play  and  recreation  grounds,  affording  more  than 
100  acres  in  the  center  of  the  city  and  making  provision  tor 
amateur  athletic  sports,  including  a  municipal  golf-course. 
Public  Buildings. — The  public  and  semi-public  build- 
ings constructed  in  accordance  with  the  city  plan  include 
a  large  general  hospital,  university  buildings,  a  group  of 


normal  school  buildings,  an  a(]uariuni,  a  large  hotel  facing 
the  Luncta,  and  several  clubs.  Definite  plans  were  also 
made  tor  the  Capitol  buildings. 

Streets.-  The  boulevard  system  was  exteniled,  with  the 
construction  of  Tatt  .Avenue  and  ot  a  radial  line  leading  to 
the  new  railway  station  for  the  southern  lines  ot  Luzon, 
in  the  business  section  the  congestion  was  to  be  relieved 
by  the  cutting  through  of  a  new  street  parallel  with  the 
Escolta,  the  principal  business  street.  This  was  more 
than  half  accomplished  but  was  abaniioned  in  19I4  with 
the  change  of  atlministration.  Up  to  that  time  all  of  these 
projects  were  actively  pushed  by  the  Civil  (iovernment 
under  (Jov.  Gen.  W.  Cameron  I"'orbes. 


CoiLTtesy  The  Arcbitectural  Record 
Manila. — Bird's-Eye  View  of  the  Central  Part  of  Manila,  Showing  in  the  p'oregrounj  the  Public  Gardens,  Hotel  and  Clubs  Fxecutcd 
on  Reclaimed  Land,  and  the  Proposed  Capitol  Buildings  Beyond. 


96 


CITY  PLANNING  PROGRESS 


Mansfield 

Ohio 

Mansfield  (22,734)  has  a  City  Planning  Commission  of 
five  citizens,  with  the  Mayor  and  Service  Director  as  ex- 
officio  members,  appointed  and  confirmed  in  1916  (under 
the  Ohio  law,  House  Bill  No.  660,  191 5).  A  working  fund 
of  f  10,000  has  been  provided  by  the  city  for  the  work  ot 
the  Commission.  In  December,  1916,  George  B.  Ford  and 
K.  P.  Goodrich,  ot  New  York  City,  were  engaged  by  the 
City  Planning  Commission  to  prepare  a  comprehensive 
plan  and  to  submit  with  their  plans  supporting  data,  the 
whole  including: 

I.  The  making  ot  a  survey  in  detail  tor  the  purpose  ot 
showing  how  far  the  present  city  plan  conforms  to  modern 


Chamber  of  Commerce  Activity. — The  City  Planning 
Commission  owes  its  existence  largely  to  the  activity  and 
energy  of  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce,  organized  early  in 
1 91 6,  with  Henry  L.  Goemann  as  president  and  C.  S.  Wil- 
liams as  secretary.  In  its  brief  existence  the  Chamber  has 
played  an  important  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  city  and  its 
people.  It  has  standing  committees  dealing  with  all  forms 
of  civic  activitv,  and  it  has  very  recently  concentrated 
much  ot  its  energy  in  bringing  about  the  appointment  ot 
the  City  Planning  Commission.  The  Chamber  ot  Com- 
merce takes  the  stand  that  once  a  practicable,  broad  and 
far-seeing  program  tor  tuture  city  building  is  laid  down 
under  expert  advice,  and  as  a  guide  for  the  city  officials,  it 
will  be  in  a  much  better  position  to  work  intelligentlv  and 
successfully  for  the  civic  advance  of  the  city. 

Other   Work. — New    municipal    improvements    of  one 


Courtesy  Missouri  Pacific  Railway 

Memphis. — New  Civic  Center,  with  Police  StiUion  .ind  Court  House. 


scientific  requirements,  to  be  illustrated  by  maps,  charts, 
and  photographs. 

2.  An  investigation  of  the  problem  of  transportation, 
including  all  freight  and  passenger  handling  tacilities,  and 
a  general  studv  of  the  Union  Station. 

3.  An  investigation  of  transit  problems  with  recom- 
mendations tor  extensions,  rerouting,  and  rescheduling. 

4.  An  investigation  of  street  problems  with  recom- 
mendations for  widening,  extension,  straightening,  paving, 
regrading,  and  the  like. 

5.  Recommendations  with  regard  to  disposal  of  sew- 
age, water-supply,  and  other  public  service  matters. 

6.  The  drafting  ot  a  building  code  including  control 
over  the  hygienic  and  sanitary  features  of  dwelling  house 
construction;  an  ordinance  for  the  regulation  of  advertis- 
ing signs;  and  a  complete  plan  tor  districting  and  zoning. 

7.  Preparation  of  plans  for  a  complete  park  and  play- 
ground system. 

The  Comprehensive  Plan. — The  comprehensive  plan 
would  weave  all  ot  these  elements  together  and  eliminate 
waste.  It  will  be  accompanied  by  a  complete  annual  pro- 
gram for  improvements,  according  to  their  relative  urgency 
and  in  conformitv  with  the  general  plan. 


kind  or  another  are  continually  being  made  in  Mansfield. 
An  average  yearly  expenditure  of  ^80,000  is  made  for  this 
purpose.  There  are  about  37  miles  of  improved  streets 
and  about  36  miles  ot  unimproved  highways,  alleys,  and 
partially  improved  streets.  Mansfield's  chiet  civic  accom- 
plishment to  date  is  an  excellent  sanitary  system.  In  1897 
the  people  ot  Mansfield  spent  about  Sioo,ooo  in  providing 
for  a  sewage-disposal  plant,  a  model  one  ot  its  kind.  With 
extensions  of  the  sewerage  system  it  has  now  become 
necessary  to  increase  the  capacity  of  the  plant,  ^100,000 
being  recently  voted  by  the  people  for  this  purpose,  and 
the  addition  to  the  disposal  plant  will  be  completed  by 
the  middle  of  1917.  The  city  engineer,  W.  J.  Hazeltine, 
has  set  an  exceptional  standard  for  the  assembling,  tabu- 
lation, and  presentation  ot  the  city's  engineering  data. 

McKeesport 

PennsyK'ania 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  ot  McKeesport  (47,521)  is 
giving  support  to  city  planning  propaganda.  The  Penn- 
sylvania law  for  third  class  cities  provides  for  the  appoint- 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCJRKSS 


97 


nu'iit  ot  city  planning  commissions  in  cities  such  as 
McKeesport,  Init  up  to  this  time  the  city  has  taken  no 
official  action.  The  Mayor,  Hon.  George  L.  Lysle,  and 
Conrad  Hohnian,  Superintendent  of  Parks,  are  the  leaders 
in  such  work  ot  civic  improvement  as  is  now  being  carried 
on.  Housing  has  received  attention  trom  the  directors  of 
the  Chamber  ot  Commerce.  There  have  been  some  pur- 
chases ot  areas  tor  playgrounds  m  advance  ot  use,  and  the 
city  has  accomplished  something  in  the  improvement  of 
its  waterfront  tor  park  purposes.  Railroad  and  transpor- 
tation problems  are  studied  in  advance  by  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  as  are  also  the  tacilities  tor  local  transportation. 
Nothing  has  been  accomplished  in  the  provision  of  com- 
munity centers  or  civic  centers,  and  practically  nothing  in 
the  way  of  art  exists.  One  of  the  objectives  for  which  the 
Chamber  ot  Commerce  is  working  is  the  development  ot 
a  comprehensive  plan  under  expert  advice. 

Medford 

Massachusetts 

The  Planning  Board  of  Medtord  (26,234),  appointed 
under  authority  of  the  Acts  of  1913  of  the  Massachusetts 
Legislature  (Chap.  494),  has  given  consideration  to  the 
demolition  ot  old  and  dilapidated  structures  on  the 
ground  that  they  constitute  a  fire  menace,  the  removal  of 
old  school  buildmgs  no  longer  in  use,  the  better  subdivision 
ot  undeveloped  territory,  and  the  general  clean-up  ot 
vacant  land  m  the  city. 

Memphis 

Tennessee 

A  movement  is  on  toot  in  Memphis  (148,995)  to  con- 
solidate the  interests  of  all  civic  organizations  by  banding 
various  committees  from  these  groups  into  a  larger  com- 
mittee that  will  take  the  steps  necessary  to  secure  the  prep- 
aration and  adoption  ot  a  comprehensive  city  plan.  A 
City  Beautiful  Committee,  composed  of  members  ot  the 


Courle^^    \/isMitiM   I'oiilii-  Railway 

Mkmi'IHs.      \'icw  in  One  ot  the  l^iiiks. 
Nearly  10  per  cent  of  the  city's  ;irea  is  in  improved  parks 


Kotars  Ciuli  and  ot  the  Architects'  League  ot  Memphis, 
was  organized  in  1915  and  has  raised  a  small  sum  by  dona- 
tions from  members.  M.  H.  Kurbringer,  member  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Architects,  i.s  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee. Kdwaril  H.  Bennett,  of  Chicago,  has  consulted 
with  the  members  ot  the  Rotary  Club  and  Citv  Beautiful 
Committee  on  a  program  for  city  planning. 

Parks. — Memphis  has  made  her  most  notable  civic 
advance  in  the  lievelopment  ot  her  parks,  of  which  she  has 
S55  acres,  a  very  good  showing.  Ot  this  area  over  400 
acres  are  in  Riverside  Park  and  .!.!5  in  Overton  Park,  with 
the  balance  distributed  among  fourteen  small  parks  rang- 
ing trom  y-i  acre  to  1 2  acres,  all  in  charge  of  the  Park  Com- 
mission, of  which  R.  (jalloway  is  chairman.  George  K. 
Kessler,  ot  St.  Louis,  was  consulting  landscape  architect 
to  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners.  The  plavgnninds  in 
the  city  are  in  charge  of  the  Park  Commission,  and  school 
buildings  are  used  for  community  purposes. 

TriDispurlalio)!. — In  matters  pertaining  to  transporta- 
tion and  intlustrv,  mention  shoulil  be  maile  ot  the  recent 
rerouting  of  the  transit  lines  in  the  center  of  the  city,  of 
the  elimination  of  grade  crossings  now  rapidly  progressing, 
and  of  the  plan  for  the  development  of  terminal  facilities 
on  the  waterfront,  bonds  for  which  are  about  to  be  issued. 

Milwaukee 

Wisconsin 

.A  small  tract  platted  on  a  checkerboard  plan  in  iSj5 
forms  the  nucleus  ot  the  present  city  plan  of  Milwaukee 
(436,5,35).  This  small  section  was  served  by  a  system  of 
diagonal  streets  radiating  into  the  open  country.  Later 
these  highways  were  wiped  from  the  map  by  the  thought- 
less extension  of  the  checkerboard  streets.  From  these 
early  days  to  the  present  time,  Milwaukee's  growth  has 
been  an  incessant  struggle  with  citv  planning  problems 
raised  by  the  unscientific  methods  of  early  ilevelopmenr. 
The  honor  of  awakening  the  city  to  the  need  of  something 
better  largely  belongs  to  an  architect,  Albert  C.  Clas. 

Park  Cummission. — In  April,  1907,  the  City  Council 
passed  a  resolution  providing  tor  a  Metropolitan  Park 
Commission.  This  Commission  confined  its  attention  at 
the  outset  to  the  elaboration  ot  a  system  of  parks,  boule- 
vards, and  driveways.  -As  the  work  progressed,  it  became 
evident  that  the  problem  upon  which  the  Commission  was 
engaged  could  not  properly  be  solved  without  taking  into 
account  a  great  many  correlated  problems,  such  as  rail- 
road transportation,  the  location  ot  thoroutihtares,  a  civic 
center,  and  the  like.  When  the  original  appointment 
expired  in  1 910,  the  lite  ot  the  Commission  was  extended 
by  resolution  to  191 2.  Recognizing  the  greatly  increased 
scope  of  the  work  of  the  Park  Commission,  the  Common 
Council  in  191 1  changed  the  name  of  the  Commission  to 
"City  Planning  Commission"  and  authorized  it  to  make 
extensive  investigations  into  all  phases  of  the  city's  life 
and  to  prepare  a  comprehensive  plan  tor  future  improve- 
ment and  growth. 

Reports.  The  first  tentative  report  of  the  Metropolitan 
Park  Commission  was  published  on  January  28,  1909,  ami 
was  devoted  mainly  to  the  solution  ot  problems  of  streets 
and  main  thoroughfares.   On  July  27,  1909,  a  report  on  the 


98 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRESS 


Milwaukee. — Plan  for  the  Civic  Center  on  the  Axis  of  Cedar  Street  as  Recommended  by  the  Metropolitan  Park  Commission 
in  1909. 

The  civic  center,  together  with  the  parks,  is  that  feature  of  city  planning  which  so  far  has  been  emphasized  in  public  discussions 
in  Milwaukee. 

grouping  of  public  buildings,  prepared  by  Frederick  Law  on   the  improvement  of  the  banks  of  three  rivers  lying 

Olmsted  and  John  Nolen,  was  published.    On  November  within  the  confines  of  the  city.    About  the  same  time  a 

II,    1909,   the  Commission's  second   tentative  report  on  report  was  submitted  on   parkways   and   a  civic   center, 

neighborhood  parks,  playgrounds,  and  recreational  centers  Owing  to  local  opposition  and  the  refusal  of  the  Common 

was  published.   On  April  14,  1910,  a  report  was  submitted  Council  to  provide  funds,  the  Park  Commission,  later  the 


pPiH m«m>. 


r: -»v".-^l: •  c<H" "^"-iv  \'**-, 


Milwaukee. — Bird's-Eye  View  of  Proposed  Lake  Shore  Drive  and  Parkway. 


Crr^     Pl.ANNTNCJ    PROC.RKSS 


99 


City  Planning  Commission,  was  unable  to  secure  action 
on  its  proposals  or  to  carry  out  its  work.  Nevertheless, 
the  work  ot  the  two  Commissions  taught  the  people  of 
Milwaukee  that  the  city  was  not  plannetl  as  it  ought  to 
be,  and  that  if  Milwaukee  was  to  take  its  place  among  the 
really  great  cities  of  the  country  it  must  take  more 
thought  tor  the  future. 

Board  of  Public  Land  Commisnoners. — In  191 1  city 
planning  took  a  new  start,  with  the  enactment  by  the 
legislature  of  a  law  (Chap.  486,  .Acts  of  191 1)  providing 
for  the  appointment  ot  a  Board  ot  Public  Land  Commis- 
sioners with  authority  to  carry  out  public  improvements 
planned  by  them,  with  funds  provided  by  the  city.  By 
thus  making  the  Land  Commission  a  body  with  consider- 
able authority,  the  difficulty  attending  the  work  of  the 
earlier  City  Planning  Commission,  which  was  without 
legislative  authority,  was  partially  avoided.  The  Land 
Commission  was  appointed  in  1912,  and  a  budget  appro- 
priation of  $10,000  was  made  by  the  city  to  enable  it  to 
carry  on  its  work. 

New  City  Playming  Commission. — Recently,  the  Mayor 
has  appointed  a  City  Planning  Commission,  reorganized 
on  the  lines  of  the  commission  appointed  in  1910  and  re- 
ferred to  above,  ot  which  A.  Stoelting  is  secretary.  No 
reports  have  been  published,  but  the  Commission  has  been 
active  in  passing  upon  plats  tor  the  subdivision  of  unde- 
veloped land  and  has  under  consideration  a  report  on 
housing  conditions. 

Housing  Commission. — There  is  also  a  Housing  Com- 
mission ot  which  William  H.  Schuchardt,  member  of  the 
American  Institute  of  .Architects,  is  a  member. 

Park  Board. — The  Park  Board  of  Milwaukee,  holding 
honorary  appointments  by  the  Mayor  arid  with  a  paid 
secretary,  have  under  their  control  952  acres  of  parks  and 
13  miles  of  boulevard.  Plans  have  been  prepared,  and  work 
is  going  ahead  in  the  extension  of  the  city's  lake  front  parks 
on  an  area  reclaimed  by  filling  in  for  a  distance  ot  600  teet 
out  into  Lake  Michigan.  This  improvement  is  in  line  with 
the  recommendations  of  the  Metropolitan  Park  Com- 
mission. Under  the  direction  ot  the  School  Board,  with 
Harold  O.  Berg  in  charge,  playground  and  general  recrea- 
tion development  is  being  carried  forward.  School  build- 
ings are  being  used  for  community  center  work. 

Transportation. — Transportation  facilities  are  being 
developed  along  modern  lines.  The  rights  of  way  of  rail- 
roads on  the  east  side  ot  the  city  have  been  depressed; 
those  on  the  south  side  are  now  being  elevated;  and  those 
on  the  southwest  and  northwest  sides  are  to  be  either 
depressed  or  elevated  in  line  with  orders  of  the  State  Rail- 
road Commission.  In  port  development,  the  work  of  con- 
demning land  for  an  outer  harbor  has  been  approved  by 
the  United  States  Government.  In  street  improvements 
the  City  Planning  Commission  has  submitted  for  the 
approval  of  the  Common  Council  certain  plans  for  the 
platting  of  new  areas,  and  ordinances  are  now  under  con- 
sideration for  the  widening  of  some  streets. 

Zoning. — Perhaps  the  most  notable  recent  endeavor  ot 
those  interested  in  city  planning  is  the  framing  of  a  reso- 
lution, for  consideration  by  the  Common  Council,  which 
will  authorize  the  City  Attorney  to  prepare  a  bill  tor 
presentation  to  the  legislature  at  its  present  session,  to 
permit  the  districting  or  zoning  of  Milwaukee  along  lines 


similar   to   tho.se    followed    in    the   New   ^'ork    districting 
work. 

Rfcenl  Survey.  -Mention  sliouki  be  maile  of  a  valuable 
preliminary  report  on  cit\'  planning  prepared  tor  and  sub- 
mitted to  the  Wisconsin  Chapter  ot  the  .American  Insti- 
tute of  .Architects,  the  City  Club,  the  Real  Kstate  .Asso- 
ciation, and  other  civic  organizations  by  Werner  Hege- 
mann  in  February,  igi6.  This  report  goes  into  the  eco- 
nomic as  well  as  the  social  and  esthetic  problems  now  con- 
fronting the  city  and  discusses  them  in  a  broad  and  intelli- 
gent manner.  Since  this  report  was  published,  efforts 
have  been  made  to  secure  funds  for  the  appointment  of  a 
resident  city  planner. 


a!^ 


Mii.wAiKKL.  1'niposi.ii  Rmrlnmt  hiipniM  URnt,  Lciokini; 
North,  with  .Streets  on  Uotli  .Sides  ut  the  Kiver  and  with  Location 
for  the  Interburban  Service  under  the  Pavement. 


lOO 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


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Minneapolis. — \  itw  Slmwini;  I'mimsLiI  Cixn   Center,  Looking  between  Proposed  Courts  nt  justice  Buildings  to  the  VXwi.w  Be\ond. 


Minneapolis 

Minnesota 

It  was  about  igo8  that  a  movement  was  started  to 
obtain  a  city  plan  for  Minneapolis  (363,454).  There  had 
been  considerable  agitation  on  the  part  of  certain  clubs  in 
the  city,  among  them  the  Woman's  Club,  which,  early  in 
this  campaign,  sought  the  advice  of  certain  architects  who 
might  be  supposed  to  have  experience  enough  to  advise 
them  in  this  matter.  Of  course,  the  natural  impulse  of  the 
layman  was  to  secure  drawings  at  once  without  any  par- 
ticular study  of  vital  conditions.  Much  time,  therefore, 
was  saved  at  the  commencement  by  starting  in  the  right 
direction.  At  practically  the  same  time  two  other  events 
occurred  which  precipitated  a  vigorous  demand  on  the  part 
of  the  public  for  a  comprehensive  city  plan.  One  was  the 
conception  on  the  part  of  the  Park  Board  of  the  project 
known  as  the  Gateway  Park  and  the  other  the  need  of 
properly  locating  a  new  Federal  building. 

Getting  Started. — As  a  result  of  this  agitation,  a  series 
of  committees  were  appointed  by  the  improvement  socie- 
ties, the  Real  Estate  Board,  clubs,  and  other  organizations. 
These  committees  were  assembled,  a  permanent  chairman 
appointed  to  preside  over  the  meetings,  and  general  dis- 
cussion was  had  as  to  the  best  means  of  appointing  a  city 
plan  commission.  As  is  usual  in  such  voluntary  move- 
ments, there  were  no  funds,  no  authority,  no  sanction  of 
any  kind  tor  the  creation  of  such  a  commission. 

Civic  Commission. — Not  to  be  deterred,  however,  the 
general  committee  appointed,  finally,  a  Civic  Commission, 
of  which  E.  C.  Gale  is  now  secretary,  composed  of  about  a 


dozen  public-spirited  citizens.  Thev  were  selected  after  a 
most  careful  canvass  and  with  the  faith  that,  when  notified 
of  their  selection  and  informed  as  to  their  responsibilities, 
they  would  undoubtedly  undertake  the  entire  task,  in- 
cluding defraying  the  expenses,  without  question.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  gratifying  things  connected  with  the  enter- 
prise to  remember  the  splendid  spirit  with  which  these 
men  entered  upon  the  unknown  difficulties  of  their  work. 

Reports. — They  organized  at  once  and,  after  due  con- 
sideration, appointed  Edward  H.  Bennett,  of  Chicago,  as 
consultant.  Mr.  Bennett  at  once  entered  upon  his  duties 
and,  after  several  years  of  study,  produced  a  comprehen- 
sive plan  for  the  city.  A  preliminary  report  on  the  plan 
was  published  in  191 1,  and  the  final  report,  with  illustra- 
tions, will  be  issued  in  191 7. 

The  Plans. — In  brief,  Mr.  Bennett's  plan  recognized 
the  fact  that  Minneapolis  must  provide  for  a  population  of 
1 ,500,000  people  not  many  years  hence,  and  that  this 
growth  will  mean  a  more  intense  occupation  of  territory 
now  built  upon,  a  spreading  of  the  city  limits,  and  the  ex- 
tension in  every  manner  and  direction  of  all  business  and 
public  utilities.  This  growth,  in  turn,  will  impose  a  heavy 
burden  on  the  arterial  street  system  and  will  require  a 
definite  scheme  for  the  allocation  of  the  various  elements 
of  city  life — manufacturing,  wholesale  and  retail  trade, 
financial  and  residential  districts,  railroad  property  and 
terminals,  and  areas  used  for  public  purposes.  Instead  of 
52  square  miles,  which  is  now  the  area  of  the  city,  the  city 
limits  are  expected  to  include  a  territory  of  nearly  150 
square  miles  when  the  present  plan  is  fully  developed. 
In  addition,  the  city  is  expected  to  include  within  its  daily 
life  the  population  of  all  of  the  centers  surrounding  it. 


CI  TY   PLANNING   PROCiRESS 


lOI 


within  a  radius  of  at  least  2o  miles,  and  the  city  of  St. 
Paul,  lying  on  the  east  side  of  the  Missisippi  River. 
Whether  the  latter  citv  will  ever  come  under  a  single 
government  with  Minneapolis  cannot  now  be  foreseen,  hut 
the  plan  points  out  the  advantages  of  common  facilities 
and  lines  ot  communication  and  seeks  to  create  those  close 
connections  and  inter-relations  which  experience  has  shown 
to  be  necessary. 

Thoroughfare  System. — ^The  key  to  the  main  structural 
lines  used  as  the  basis  of  the  plan  are  highways  running 


Minneapolis. — Pl.in  of  Proposed  Civic  Plaza  Surrounded  hy 
Public  Buildings. 

It  is  recommended  that  the  present  City  Hall  and  Court 
House  be  retained  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  municipal  offices 
and  that  the  courts  be  housed  in  the  two  buildings  symmetrically 
placed  on  either  side  of  the  fore-court  in  the  Civic  Center,  that 
an  auditorium  be  placed  near  14th  Street  and  a  library  on  the  site 
balancing  it  on  the  main  general  axis,  which  is  that  of  6th  Avenue 
extended. 


north  ami  south  and  east  and  west.  These  axes  aireaily 
exist,  not  in  complete  torm,  however,  and  the  plan  supple- 
ments them  with  others  of  greater  efficiency  and,  in  addi- 
tion, with  diagonal  arteries  and  traffic  circuits,  the  latter 
forming  the  seconti  great  structural  element  of  the  plan. 

It'alt-rjrunl. — .A  general  treatment  of  the  river  banks  is 
outlined.  The  ultimate  aim  will  be  to  carry  a  roadway 
trom  the  city  limits  on  the  north  to  the  city  limits  on  the 
south,  skirting  the  shore  of  the  river  wherever  possible, 
and,  in  sections  of  the  city  now  preempted  by  industry  and 
commerce,  to  coordinate  such  use  as  far  as  possible  with 
that  for  public  enjoyment. 

Park  .S'v.f/f//;.— While  Minneapolis  compares  most 
favorably  with  other  cities  of  the  country,  not  only  in 
regard  to  the  amount  of  park  area,  but  also  in  respect  of 
the  quality  of  its  parks — thanks  to  the  zeal  of  F.dmund  J. 
Phelps  and  others — it  is  proposed,  in  view  of  the  great 
population  of  i  ,500,000  which  the  future  is  expected  to 
bring,  to  increase  the  present  park  area  of  over  1,200 
acres  by  great  woodland  reservations,  to  be  purchased  as 
time  anci  money  permit  and  to  be  maintained  as  forest  pre- 
serves. .Atlditional  small  parks  ami  spaces  in  the  center 
of  the  city,  in  touch  with  the  circuit  road,  and  other  areas 
serving  the  congested  districts  are  planned. 

Progress  is  being  made  steadily  in  the  execution  of 
various  parts  of  the  .Minneapolis  plan,  as  outlined  .above. 


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Minneapolis. — General  Plan,  .Showing  Business  Center  and 
Surrounding  Residential  .Areas,  also  the  Proposed  Widenings  and 
.Additions  to  the  Street  System  in  Periods  of  Execution. 

Improvements  proposed  in  the  first  period  are  shown  in  black 
dotted  lines;  tho.se  in  solid  black  are  street  widenings  and  exten- 
sions actually  executed  or  pending  early  in  iqi6. 

.At  ".A"  is  the  new  Northern  Pacific  Terminal  which  may 
become  a  part  ot  the  Lnion  Station,  and  at  "B"  the  site  of  the 
.Art  Museum,  an  important  section  ot  which  is  completed. 


I02 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRESS 


'■^B 


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>  >S^#S^^ 


Minneapolis. — View  Showing  Proposed  River  Development  and  Present  and  Proposed  Railroad  and  General  Traffic  Bridges. 

The  suspension  bridge  in  the  middle  distance  will  be  an  extension  of  the  proposed  main  axis.  Passing  under  it  at  a  lower  level 
is  the  notable  stone  arch  railroad  bridge,  and  just  beyond  it  is  the  3rd  .'\ venue  bridge  now  executed  in  accordance  with  the  plan.  In 
the  foreground  is  the  14th  .•\venue  bridge,  the  location  and  general  design  of  which  have  been  approved  in  accordance  with  the  plan. 


and  certain  portions  are  in  process  ot  realization  at  the 
present  time.  A  block  ot  buildings  at  the  junction  ot  the 
Hennepin  and  Nicollet  .Avenues  has  been  removed,  and  a 
gateway,  illustrated  herewith,  located  at  the  most  impor- 
tant entrance  to  the  city,  has  been  erected  in  accordance 
with  the  plan.  As  to  the  diagonals  for  which  the  plan 
provides,  they  are  expected  to  be  realized  in  the  near  fu- 
ture. Certain  portions  of  the  minor  diagonals  are  already 
in  process  ot  development. 

Housiitj^. — While  the  Civic  Commission  was  at  work, 
other  movements  were  germinating,  among  them  the  very 
important  housing  movement.  This  was  undertaken  at 
the  instance  ot  the  Civic  and  Commerce  .Association,  ot 
which  Howard  Strong  is  secretary,  a  voluntary  association 
ot   citizens   whose   concentration   ot   efforts   can    bring    to 


truition  many  public  movements  which  otherwise  might 
take  exhaustive  effort  to  achieve.  The  .Association  ap- 
pointed a  committee  ot  men,  instructing  it  to  make  a 
thorough  investigation  ot  the  housing  difficulties  ot  Minne- 
apolis. A  secretary.  Otto  Davis,  a  man  ot  wide  experience 
in  other  cities,  was  obtained  to  guide  the  movement,  and 
a  survey  was  made  and  results  presented  to  the  .Associa- 
tion. The  usual  dreadful  conditions  were  unearthed.  As 
a  result  of  the  agitation,  a  housing  code  tor  cities  of  the 
first  class  in  Minnesota  was  formulated,  largely  based 
upon  the  work  ot  Lawrence  ^'eiller,  ot  New  York.  An 
attempt  was  made  at  the  legislature  ot  IQ14-15  to  secure 
its  passage,  but  it  taileci,  tor  political  reasons.  Since  then, 
public  opinion  has  had  greater  opportunity  to  observe  the 
workings  ot  unrestricted  housing,  and  there  is  every  rea- 


MlNNEAPOLIs. — General  Plan  of  the  River,  Showing  Proposed  Development  of  its  Banks,  Roadways,  Parks,  Railroad  Yards,  etc., 
and  Bridges  both  Existing  and  Proposed. 

The  14th  Avenue  bridge  is  the  one  shown  in  the  foreground  of  illustration  above. 


CITY    PLANNIX(;    PK()(ikKSS 


1 0,1 


son  to  hope  thiit  the  coming  legislature  will  pass  the  neeiied 
legislation. 

Zoning. — While  this  work  was  proceeding,  the  Civic 
and  Commerce  Association,  through  its  Committee  on 
Heights  of  Buildings,  ot  which  Victor  F.  V.  de  Brauwere  is 
chairman,  also  secured  the  passage  of  the  Heights  of 
Building  Ordinance,  and  at  the  present  time  another  com- 
mittee is  working  upon  the  all-important  question  of 
zoning. 

hiiiiislry. — Meanwhile,  Mmneapolis  tound  itself  in  an 
unfortunate  situation  in  regard  to  her  i^rowmg  industries. 


land  hought  hv  citizens  under  the  name  ot  the  Industries 
.■\ssociation  ot  Minnea[X)lis,  in  October,  1914.  .A  great 
manv  subscriptions  were  obtained,  so  that  the  benetits 
accruing  might  be  witiespread.  I..  H.  Brittin  is  general 
manager  and  in  active  charge  ot  the  Minneapolis  Indus- 
trial District. 

Garden  Suburb. —  Immediately  adjacent  to  this  indus- 
trial tract  lies  a  beautiful  upland  country  which  interested 
the  Housing  Commission.  Permission  was  obtained  troni 
the  owners  to  studv  the  platting  of  this  land,  looking 
toward   a   garden   suburb   development.     There   is   every 


Minneapolis. — The  CJ.itcway,  Located  at  the  Principal 
Proposed  in  the  plan  ot  the 

It  was  becoming  increasingly  difficult  to  find  sites  advan- 
tageously located.  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  Bennett  had 
made  an  investigation  ot  this  subject  for  the  Civic  Com- 
mission and  had  tentatively  located  a  new  industrial  area. 
The  Civic  Commission  had  also  instituted  an  Industries 
Committee,  the  primary  purpose  of  which  was  to  induce 
the  location  ot  new  industrial  concerns  in  the  city.  It  was 
very  fortunate  that  the  chairman  of  this  Committee  early 
recognized  the  difficulties  involved  in  locating  new  indus- 
tries— problems  relating  not  only  to  locality  but  to  housing 
of  operatives — for  the  Housing  Commission  and  the  In- 
dustries Commission  soon  found  their  work  running  along 
parallel  lines. 

Industries  Association. — As  a  result  ot  this,  and  with  the 
work  of  certain  public-spirited  real  estate  men,  it  was 
possible  for  the  Industries  Committee  to  obtain  options  on 
land  lying  within  the  industrial  district  designated  by  the 
Civic  Commission.    The  options  were  exercised,  and  the 


Kntrance  to  the  City;  Hewitt  and  liruwn 
Civic  Commission. 


Ar^hilcct.-.. 


reason  to  expect  that,  sooner  or  later,  development  here 
will  be  begun  according  to  the  lines  laid  down  bv  the 
Housing  Commission. 

Meantime  work  was  also  going  along  on  other  lines  too 
numerous  to  mention.  It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  state 
that,  wherever  possible,  the  plan  ot  the  Civic  Commission 
has  been  followed  where  necessary  to  cut  through  new 
streets,  build  bridges,  or  make  similar  rearrangements.  All 
of  this  in  advance  ot  publishing  the  report. 

The  Work  of  the  Architects. — Throughout  these  years 
the  Minnesota  Chapter  of  the  American  Institute  of  .Archi- 
tects has  been  constantly  occupieii  with  this  work.  It  has 
been  prominently  identified  in  the  matter  ot  the  great 
bridge  in  process  of  construction  and  spanning  the  Missis- 
sippi just  above  the  Falls  ot  St.  .Anthony.  It  has  never 
failed  to  respond  when  called  upon  to  take  up  the  fight  in 
the  City  Council.  Its  members  have  been  active  in  the 
preparation  ot  the  housing  code,  in  the  entire  revision  of 


I04 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRKSS 


the  building  ordinances,  in  the  heights  ot  Iniildings  con- 
troversy, in  zoning  and,  in  fact,  in  all  movements  where  its 
expert  assistance  could  he  ot  value  to  the  city. 

Mobile 

Alabama 

There  has  recently  been  a  general  awakening  in  Mobile 
(58,221)  in  all  civic  matters,  following  the  adoption  ot  the 
commission  form  of  government.  Noteworthy  progress 
has  been  made  in  the  development  of  parks.  The  task  ot 
arousing  active  interest  in  general  city  betterment,  how- 
ever, has  been  more  difficult. 

Parks. — Of  the  three  City  Commissioners,  one  has 
charge  of  park  development,  and  his  continuing  interest 
in  the  advancement  of  this  phase  of  municipal  activity  is 
beginning  to  show  results.  The  first  steps  looking  to  the 
extension  and  improvement  of  the  city's  recreational 
facilities  were  taken  about  four  years  ago.  A  number  ot 
playgrounds  were  laid  out  then  on  a  fairly  well-considered 
scheme,  but  no  definite  plan  has  been  devised  tor  future 
development.  The  Park  Commissioner  has,  however, 
been  quite  active  in  making  forehanded  purchases  ot 
areas  tor  this  purpose.  The  combined  areas  of  the  parks 
of  Mobile  proper  is  approximately  1 25  acres,  hardly  a 
third  of  the  reservation  required  according  to  modern 
standards.  \  tract  of  land  ot  about  80  acres,  with  a  front- 
age on  Mobile  Bay  equal  to  a  third  ot  a  mile,  has  recently 
been  acquired  and  is  being  developed.  This  is  located  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  city.  In  the  northwestern  dis- 
trict there  is  a  park  of  9  acres,  beautifully  developed  on 
formal  lines  and  well  supplied  with  recreational  facilities. 
The  other  parks  and  .squares  are  scattered  and  are  com- 
paratively small  in  area,  ranging  from  I   to  4  acres. 

Boulevards. — Mobile  has  no  real  boulevards,  but  some 
of   the  streets  have   been   beautifully  developed,  notably 


(lovernment  Street,  justlv  considered  one  ot  the  most 
attractive  thoroughfares  in  the  South.  .\  fine  boulevard 
along  Mobile  Bay  was  damaged  by  a  severe  storm  several 
years  ago  and  practically  destroyed.  Plans  now  call  for 
the  restoration  of  this  at  an  early  date. 

Other  Improvemeyits. — Markets,  railroad  terminals  and 
rights  of  way,  transit  facilities,  the  grouping  of  civic  and 
neighborhood  structures,  and  the  improvement  of  street 
furnishings  have  received  practically  no  attention,  but 
street  widening,  extension  and  regrading,  and  the  sub- 
division ot  new  areas  are  being  studied.  Mobile  has  several 
miles  of  splendid  waterfront  which  can  be  extended  almost 
indefinitely  along  the  river-  and  bay-fronts.  Ships  sail 
from  this  port  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  the  City  Com- 
mission and  a  State  Board  are  considering  several  large 
projects  as  a  part  of  a  port  plan  which  they  have  devised. 
Geo.  B.  Rogers,  architect,  is  back  of  the  city  planning 
movement. 

Moline 

Illinois 

The  Commercial  Club  of  Moline  (27,451),  of  which 
M.  J.  Duryea  is  executive  secretary,  is  making  efforts  to 
secure  the  cooperation  of  the  city  government  and  the 
citizens  generally  in  preparing  some  comprehensive  scheme 
that  will  serve  as  a  guide  for  future  municipal  development. 
Messrs.  Whitsitt  &  Schulzke,  architects,  are  cooperating 
with  the  committees  ot  the  Commercial  Club  to  this  end. 

Work  Under  Way. — A  committee  of  the  Commercial 
Club  is  now  studying  a  proposition  for  the  building  ot 
workmen's  houses;  another  committee  is  to  study  the 
development  of  the  waterfront  tor  commercial  purposes; 
while  still  another  committee  is  now  holding  meetings 
with  the  officials  of  the  railway  companies  with  a  view  to 
devising  some  plan  for  the  elimination  of  grade  crossings. 
The  city  has  a  nominal  park  equipment,  some  ot  which  was 


MoNTCLAiR. — Proposed  Town  Common,  around  Which  Would  be  Grouped  Many  of  the  Public  Buildings  Required  for  Public 
Business,  .^rt.  Recreation,  and  Education. 


CITY  Pi.ANNiN(j  im<()(;ri;ss 


105 


MiiNHLAiK.      ti.ir*icii    rhcirur. 
A  natural  amphitheater,  terraced  to  provide  places  tor  removable  benches  and  planted 
background  of  evergreens,  and  is  separated  from  the  latter  by  a  brook. 


rrr  -C  V'ah  VtcciV.y 


1th  Vines,  overlooks  the  stage  with  its 


donated  and  the  balance  acquired  through  taxation.  .A 
plan  is  on  foot  to  connect  the  small  parks  with  boulevards. 
The  first  school  to  provide  a  place  for  communitv  center 
work  and  recreation  is  now  being  built. 


Montclair 

New  Jersey 

The  Municipal  .Art  Commission  ot  Montclair  (26,318), 
appointed  bv  the  Montclair  Civic  Association,  had  pre- 
pared and  publisheci  at  its  own  expense,  in  1910,  a  report 
on  the  preservation  ot  the  natural  beauties  ot  Montclair 
and  its  improvement  as  a  residence  town,  .•\bout  ?4,ooo 
was  raised  privately  tor  the  investigation.  Edmond  B. 
Osborne,  Michel  M.  Le  Brun,  and  William  B.  Dickson 
were  active  in  this  work.  The  studies  and  report  were 
made  tor  the  Commission  by  John  Nolen,  of  Cambridge, 
Mass. 

-Although  Montclair  is  generallv  considered  one  ot  the 
most  attractive  of  the  New  York  suburbs,  it  is  not  nearly 
as  attractive  as  it  would  have  been  it  wise  plans  tor  the 
town's  development  had  been  made  thirty  years  ago  and 
consistently  followed  to  this  time.  The  town  plan  is 
largely  the  result  ot  a  slow  evolution  rather  than  conscious 
planning  for  anticipated  growth  on  rational  lines.  The 
Essex  Countv  Park  Commission's  activities  have  brought 
to  the  people  a  number  ot  fine  outdoor  recreational  spaces, 
and  a  beginning  has  been  made  bv  the  town  in  the  build- 
ing of  local  parks,  but  the  principal  needs  at  the  time  the 
studv  was  undertaken  were  a  more  adequate  provision  tor 
local  business;  a  suitable  town  common,  around  which  to 
cluster    new    educational,    art,    and    recreation    features; 


widened  anil  improved  streets;  thoroughfares  for  traffic 
and  pleasure  driving;  a  more  thoughtful  method  of  plant- 
ing and  maintaining  street  trees;  a  rational  system  for 
opening  streets;  a  decidedly  better  housing  ot  the  poor;  a 
more  comprehensive,  modern,  and  significant  develop- 
ment of  open  spaces,  local  parks,  and  playgrounds;  and 
suitable  railroad  approaches.  These,  and  particularly 
the  railroad  station  problem,  were  the  principal  sub- 
jects of  the  investigation,  and  tor  these  recommendations 
tor  improvement  were  made. 

Since  the  report  was  submitted  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna &  Western  Railroad  has  built  at  Montclair  one 
ot  the  most  modern  and  attractive  suburban  railroad 
stations  in  .America,  with  ample  anil  well-planned 
approaches. 

Montgomery 

Alabama 

Progress  in  citv  planning  in  Montgomery  (43,285)  and 
neighboring  cities  has  been  slow.  The  cities  are  old,  well 
established,  and  new  ideas  move  slowlv.  Mimtgomery's 
outstanding  civic  assets  today  include  a  union  railway 
station  providing  terminal  facilities  for  six  railroads,  a 
river  terminal  with  a  unique  floating  wharf,  owned  by  the 
municipality,  and  a  fountain  by  Frederick  Mac.Monnies  in 
Court  Square.  K.  J.  Drinney,  City  Clerk  of  Montgomery, 
can  supply  information  on  these  subjects.  Frank  Lock- 
wood,  Edward  Okel,  Frederick  .Ausfeld,  and  B.  B.  Smith, 
architects,  are  interested.  Dr.  Thomas  M.  Owen  is  in 
charge  of  the  civic  department  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. 


io6 


CITY   PLANNING    PROCiRKSS 


Mossmain 

Monranii 

l^lans  tor  a  new  town  site  at  the  junction  ot  the  Great 
Northern  and  Northern  Pacific  Railways,  in  Yellowstone 
County,  Mont.,  near  the  city  ot  Billings,  have  been  pre- 
pared by  Walter  Burley  Griffin,  of  Chicago,  town  plan- 
ning adviser  to  the  Federal  Capital  Commission  ot  Aus- 
tralia, and  winner  of  the  competition  tor  a  plan  tor  the 
new  Australian  capital,  Canberra.  The  new  city,  which  is 
called  Mossmain,  is  promoted  by  Preston  B.  Moss,  ot 
Billings,  Mont.,  president  of  the  Yellowstone  Garden  City 
Holding  Corporation. 

The  Plan. — The  scheme  involves  the  acquisition  ot 
5,000  acres  of  irrigated  land,  now  under  cultivation,  and 
the  development  of  this  property  along  modern  garden 
city  lines  for  farming,  residential,  and  trade  purposes. 
The  plans  provide  for  "suitable  terminal  warehouse  facili- 
ties, stockyards,  packing-houses,  cold-storage  and  creamery 
plants,  municipal  theater  and  club  houses,  administrative 
and  store  buildings,  and  other  conveniences  and  essentials 
of  a  modern  city,"  and  call  for  the  development  of  only  a 
small  portion  of  the  total  acreage  at  the  present  time,  the 
remainder  to  be  leased  as  farm  land,  pending  development. 

Mount  Vernon 

New  York 

Speaking  before  the  American  Civic  .Association  at 
their  meeting  at  Washington  m  December,  1915,  the  Hon. 


Kdwin  W.  Kiske,  Mayor  ot  Mount  Vernon  (37,009),  urged 
that  attention  lie  given  to  methods  ot  propagandizing  city 
planning  in  smaller  cities.  He  said  that  he  knew  from 
experience  that  it  was  much  more  difficult  to  inculcate 
planning  principles  in  small  communities  than  in  a  large 
city,  and  that  the  people  of  the  larger  cities  interfered  less 
directly  with  the  broader  plans  tor  improvement  than  they 
do  in  the  smaller  communities.  Mount  Vernon's  progress 
in  improvement  works  ot  a  general  character,  however, 
promises  much  tor  the  success  ot  city  planning  on  a  com- 
prehensive scale.  The  remarkable  showing  as  regards 
healthfulness  and  low  mortality  are  evidences  ot  the  atten- 
tion which  has  been  given  to  public  hygiene  and  sanitary 
problems. 

Civic  Center. — Considerable  progress  has  been  made 
toward  creating  what  is  called  a  civic  center,  in  which  all 
of  the  conditions,  such  as  location,  ease  ot  access,  and  sur- 
roundings were  taken  in  consideration  before  the  city  took 
the  first  step  in  development.  One  building  in  the  group 
has  been  erected  in  accordance  with  the  plan  that  was 
drawn  bv  Geo.  M.  Bartlett,  architect,  and  before  long  it 
is  believed  that  the  city  will  undertake  the  erection  of  a 
suitable  city  hall. 

Urgent  Problems. — An  awakened  public  sentiment  is 
demanding  more  and  better  recreation  facilities,  adequate 
traffic  regulations,  and  improvements  in  the  design  and 
layout  of  streets.  One  serious  problem  is  the  development 
ot  isolated  sections  by  real  estate  speculators  without 
regard  to  the  plans  followed  in  the  remainder  ot  the  city. 

Getting  a  Commission. — The  drafting  ot  a  practical  and 
comprehensive  plan  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  City  Plan- 
ning Commission,  appomteil   under  the  Act  ot   19IJ.     A 


CouTlesy  The  AmeTnan  City 
Mossmain. — General  Town  Plan  with  Civic  and  Recreation^il  Centers,  the  Latter  011  the  Bluff' Overlooking  the  Town;  also  Phi; 
grounds,  Parks,  Factory  District,  Railroad  Terminal,  etc. 


CITY    PLANNING    PR(K;RKSS 


lOl 


way  was  prepared  for  its  appoinrmciit  by  the  general 
distribution  ot  a  message  entitled  "Know  Your  Citv," 
outlining  the  plan,  sumnianzing  the  progress  made  in  the 
various  municipal  departments,  and  appealing  to  the 
civic  pride  ot  residents.  The  questions,  with  information 
following,  did  much   to  prepare   the  wav  tor  effective  city 


Mount  Vernon. — Civic  Center  Plan. 
One  building  in  the  group  is  now  completed. 

planning  work.  The  present  Commission,  ot  which  J.  R. 
Rockart  is  chairman  and  H.  F.  .Angell  is  secretary,  is  now 
endeavoring  to  work  out  a  comprehensive  and  yet  reason- 
able and  simple  plan  tor  gradual  realization. 

Muskegon 

Michigan 

Muskegon  (26,100)  has  an  Advisory  City  Planning 
Commission,  created  by  ordinance  of  the  City  Council. 
The  principal  work  of  this  Commission,  up  to  the  present 
time,  has  been  the  preparation  ot  plans  tor  a  park  and  tor 
a  joint  freight  and  passenger  terminal  for  all  steam  and 
electric  railroads  entering  the  city.  The  latter  plans  were 
made  under  expert  advice,  with  Bion  J.  Arnold,  ot  Chicago, 
as  consultant,  and  are  now  in  the  hands  of  the  transporta- 
tion companies  for  their  consideration.  The  proposed 
terminal  plans  include  a  union  freight  yard  on  the  lake- 
tront,  in  proximity  to  the  docks,  with  spur  tracks  running 
along  the  latter  and  affording  quick  and  easy  transfer  of 
goods  between  the  rail  and  water  carriers.    The  park  plans 


tor  the  improvement  of  a  natural  park  <>t  aiiout  to  acres 
reterred  to  were  maile  tor  the  Citv  Plan  Conut)issi<in  by 
().  C.  Simonds,  landscape  architect,  ot  Chicago,  and  the 
work  is  being  carried  out  now.  Part  ot  the  cost  of  the 
preparation  ot  these  plans  has  l>een  borne  by  the  city, 
part  by  private  subscription. 

/.fining  iDiti  Hrjiisifii^.  —The  City  Planning  Commission 
is  now  studying  the  regulation  of  building  heights.  It  has 
not  gone  into  the  housing  problem,  but  this  phase  of  plan- 
ning has  been  largely  fathered  bv  manutacturing  concerns 
in  the  city  who  have  recently  been  conducting  extensive 
building  operations  to  provitie  accommodations  tor  the 
employees  in  rapidly  expaniiing  industries.  The  prepara- 
tion of  a  comprehensive  citv  plan  has  not  vet  been  under- 
taken, and  no  reports  ot  the  work  ot  the  Commission  have 
been  published  up  to  this  time.  Harry  .Sawyer  is  chair- 
man ot  the  City  Planning  Commission. 

Muskogee 

Oklahoma 

A  start  in  a  city  planning  campaign  has  been  made  by 
the  Greater  Muskogee  .Association  ot  Muskogee  (44,218), 
of  which  K.  D.  Bevitt  is  secretary.  It  is  expected  that  the 
Association  will  soon  appoint  a  committee  to  consider  the 
preparation  of  a  comprehensive  plan. 

Civic  Assets. — The  city  now  has  40  acres  of  improveii 
public  land.  There  are  2  miles  of  improved  boulevards, 
with  grass-plots,  trees  and  shrubs.  The  Board  of  Kduca- 
tion  has  taken  steps  to  develop  a  number  of  playgrounds. 
There  is  a  decided  tendency  to  use  schools  tor  community 
centers.  .A  project  is  on  toot  to  obtain  for  the  citv  a  section 
of  the  waterfront  on  the  Arkansas  River,  lying  about  4 
miles  from  the  city  center.  Cjrade  crossing  elimination 
has  been  agitated  for  a  number  of  years.  The  Missouri, 
Kansas  &  Texas  Railway  has  had  plans  prepared  for  the 
latter  work,  but  up  to  this  time  no  steps  have  been  taken 
to  put  them  into  effect.  C.  W.  Dawson,  member  of  the 
.American  Institute  of  .Architects,  is  interested  in  many  of 
these  matters. 

Newark 

New  Jersey 

A  complete  and  tar-seeing  program  for  the  growth  and 
needs  of  Newark  (408,894)  was  completed  in  the  latter 
part  of  191  5  by  the  City  Planning  Commission.  It  covers 
the  desirable  changes  and  modifications  in  the  plan  of 
Newark  tor  the  next  half-century  and  is  the  result  of 
five  years'  intensive  study  by  the  Commission  and  its 
experts.  The  plan  and  recommendations  are  divided  into 
four  parts: 

1.  Streets  and  transportation  of  all  kinds. 

2.  Housing  and  public  control  of  private  property. 
,5.   Planning  of  the  greater  city. 

4.   Program  tor  future  work. 

Prior  to  the  publication  of  this  comprehensive  plan, 
twenty-one  reports  were  issued  bv  the  Commission. 
.Among  the  most  important  ot  these  are  the  Market  Report 
submitted  by  George  B.  I'ord  ami  K.  P.  Goodrich,  experts 


io8 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


to  the  Commission,  in  1912,  in  which  plans  for  a  whole- 
sale auction  market  were  presented;  the  Housing  Report 
published  in  191,;,  which  was  prepared  by  Dr.  James  Ford, 
of  Harvard  University,  tor  Nlessrs.  Ford  and  Goodrich, 
and  gives  the  result  ot  intensive  studies  of  selected  dis- 
tricts in  the  citv  and  lays  down  a  broad  program  tor  the 
control  of  housing  in  built-up  areas  and  tor  a  more  rational 
development  in  undeveloped  sections;  a  report  on  transit 


district,  particularly  at  the  intersection  of  two  broad  and 
heavily  traveled  streets,  namely,  Broad  and  Market 
Streets.  This  was  one  ot  the  vital  problems  with  which 
the  Commission  and  its  experts  had  to  grapple  at  the  out- 
set ot  their  work.  Traffic  counts  throughout  the  city  were 
made  in  an  effort  to  arrive  at  an  exact  knowledge  of  the 
capacity  and  use  of  thoroughfares.  A  large  corps  of  men 
were  employed  in   this  work.    One  direct  result  of  this 


Why  Newark  has  a  City 
Plan  Commission 


Dl  D  you  ever  consider  the  fact 
that  you  are  a  part  owner  of 
g50,000,000  worth  of  property 
in  the  City  of  Newark?  This  includes 
your  water  supply,  parks,  schools,  pub- 
lic buildings,  etc.  ?500  is  the  cash 
value  of  all  this  to  every  voter  in  the 
city.     A  large  institution,  isn't  it  ? 

Worth  looking  after  ? 

But  we  lack  several  things.  For 
instance,  better  transportation,  a  more 
efficient  street  system,  new  suburbs, 
and  opportunity  for  commercial  de- 
velopment along  the  bay  and  meadows. 

These  cannot  be  had  for  the  asking. 
They  can  only  be  had  by  united 
effort.  The  City  Plan  Commission 
is  preparing  a  COMPREHENSIVE 
PLAN  for  METROPOLITAN 
NEWARK  which  will  tell  of  the 
specific  needs  of  your  great  city. 

YOU  CAN  HELP 


N'e\v.\rk. — Bringing  the  Issue  Home. 
Only  by  making  city  planning  personal  and  vital 
citizens  be  reached. 


can     the 


(which  was  not  printed)  containing  over  100  charts,  illus- 
trations, and  tables  and  giving  the  results  of  exhaustive 
investigations  into  the  routing,  scheduling,  and  physical 
condition  of  the  transit  lines  in  Newark,  with  recommen- 
dations for  a  revision  ot  the  entire  system;  a  printed  report, 
entitled  "City  Planning  tor  Newark,"  of  200  pages,  with 
illustrations,  and  containing  a  report  of  the  work  and  plans 
of  the  Commission  up  to  December  31,  1913;  a  Recrea- 
tion Report  in  which  were  sketched  the  outlines  of  a 
modern  recreation  system  for  Newark,  and  a  number  of 
others. 

Traffic  Studies. — The  comprehensive  plan  of  Newark, 
as  outlined  in  the  report  published  in  December,  191  ?, 
touched  upon  the  entire  work  of  the  Commission  and  its 
experts,  and  covered  the  heavy  congestion  in  the  business 


Six  Improvements 


IMPROVEMENT 


APPROXIMATE  COST 


I. 
11. 

111. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 


Diagonal  St. $2 

Straightening'  Washing- 
ton St.  at  Market  St.  ..  1 
Extension    of    Freling- 

huysen  Ave. 

Belmont  Ave.  and  Nor- 
folk St.  connection  1 
Lafayette  and  William 
Sts.  improvement            1 
Beaver  St.  Extension       1 


,000,000 

,500,000 

750,000 

,000,000 

.500,000 
.000,000 


TOTAL._... 


g7,750,000 


What  They  Will  Do 
for  Ne'wark 


Solve  the  trolley  problem. 

Obviate  the  necessity  of  subways 
and  elevated  tracks. 

Create  five  new  business  thorough- 
fares. 

Make  a  "City"  of  a  "four  cornered 
town." 

Increase  rataWes  by  $5,000,000. 

ARE  THEY  WORTH  WHILE? 


Newark.. — Getting  Public  Support. 
The    Commission's    proposals    are    fundamentally    such    as 
appeal  to  any  reasonable  citizen. 

study  was  the  city's  adoption  of  measures  which  provided 
for  a  distribution  of  traffic  highly  advantageous  to  the 
general  conduct  of  business  in  the  central  section  of  New- 
ark. The  Commission,  through  its  experts,  recommended, 
in  this  connection,  the  extension  and  straightening  ot  a 
number  of  thoroughfares  through  which  traffic  could  be 
diverted  to  the  advantage  of  business  in  the  heart  ot  New- 
ark. 

Thoroughfares. — A  study  of  the  arterial  thoroughfare 
system  of  the  entire  district  outside  ot  the  congested 
central  section  was  undertaken  and  recommendations 
made  for  its  improvement  and  development.  Of  par- 
ticular interest  was  the  plan  tor  the  meadow  district,  a 
large  low-lying  tract  bordering  New  York  Bay  and  the 
Hackensack  River,  on  a  part  of  which  a  comprehensive 


crrv  PLANNiNc;  progress 


109 


plan  tor  a  great  dock  and  iniiiistrial  center  on  the  water- 
front is  being  developed. 

Transit. — The  trolley  system,  which  radiates  out  into 
a  dozen  communities  lying  within  the  metropolitan  dis- 
trict ot"  Newark,  is  one  of  the  vital  elements  in  the  plan. 
The  Citv  Planning  Commission,  soon  after  its  organiza- 
tion, undertook  a  comprehensive  study  ot  this  system 
based  on  methods  simdar  to  those  followed  in  the  study  of 
the  problem  of  street  congestion.  Intensive  counts  were 
made  on  certain  days  to  determine  just  how  and  to  what 
extent  the  street-cars  were  used  in  all  parts  of  the  city, 
and  how  the  street  car  company  distributed  its  cars  in  the 
course  of  the  day.  As  the  result,  the  Commission  sub- 
mitted a  report  recommending  a  rerouting  ot  lines  to 
relieve  congestion  at  the  "tour  corners,"  the  important 
downtown  intersection  referred  to,  and  the  general  coor- 
dination ot  local  and  suburban  traffic  lines  in  a  way  that 
would  insure  a  more  easy  and  expeditious  movement 
between  the  outlying  sections  and  the  heart  of  Newark. 
Most  of  the  recommendations  of  the  Commission  and 
their  experts  have  been  put  into  effect.  One  result  in  par- 
ticular which,  while  not  directly  traceable  to  the  Com- 
mission's studies,  may  be  said,  nevertheless,  to  be  due  to 
the  broader  and  more  comprehensive  view  of  the  transit 
situation  which  resulted  from  the  Commission's  studies, 


viz.,  the  construction  ot  a  great  interurban  three-level 
trolley  terminal  for  which  (ieo.  H.  Post  &  .Sons,  of  New 
York,  were  the  architects.  The  terminal  is  located  in  the 
heart  ot  Newark's  business  district  ami  cars  from  the  out- 
lying section  enter  on  subways  or  on  elevated  tracks. 

The  Port. —  For  many  years  Newark  had  been  backward 
in  taking  advantage  of  its  waterfront  opportunities. 
However,  the  demand  tor  easy  access  to  water  carriers,  on 
the  part  ot  industries  located  in  the  great  section  ot  which 
New  York  is  the  center,  has,  in  recent  years,  become  more 
insistent.  Newark,  along  with  other  communities  in  the 
district,  was  one  of  those  that  grappled  with  this  problem 
in  a  big  way.  The  city  issued  bonds  for  the  work  of  plan- 
ning and  ileveloping  a  great  port  terminal  ami  mikistrial 
district  inckuling  a  series  ot  slips,  piers,  and  quays  linked 
with  ample  industrial  sites  on  the  adjacent  meadowland. 
The  City  Planning  Commission,  taking  up  the  problem  as 
an  integral  part  ot  the  comprehensive  plan  of  Newark, 
laid  out  a  scheme  for  residential  sites  and  industrial  dis- 
tricts with  thoroughfares  linking  up  with  the  waterfront 
and  with  the  general  city  plan. 

Parks. — Newark  is  well  known  tor  its  aiimirable  parks. 
Those  controlled  by  the  Kssex  Park  Commission  include 
Branch  Brook  and  Weequahic,  located  within  the  city 
limits.  Plans  were  drawn  by  Olmsted  Brothers,  ot  Brook- 
line,  Mass.  In  191 5  the  Essex  County  Park  Commission 
published  a  comprehensive  scheme  for  a  system  of  parks 
and  boulevards  in  Newark  and  adjacent  towns  lying  within 
Essex  County,  prepared  by  Olmsted  Brothers,  of  Brookline. 


Newark. — Diagonal  Street,  an  Extension  of  Central  .Avenue, 
the  Most  Needeii  Improvement  in  the  City  Today;  Exhaustively 
•Studied  by  the  Plan  Commission. 

Its  construction  will  do  more  than  anything  else  to  relieve  con- 
gestion, open  a  direct  connection  between  important  sections,  and 
raise  values  in  a  poorly  developed  district. 


Newark. — Daily  I'rolley  Traffic  trom  the  City's  Center  on 
Each  of  the  Routes,  Showing  General  Radial  Thoroughfares,  Lack 
of  Cross-Town  Lines,  and  Peculiar  Centralization  ot  the  Eour 
Corners. 

Transit  development  has  been  scientitically  studied  by  the 
Plan  Commission  and  comprehensive  improvements  proposed. 


no 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRESS 


Newark. — Frfl)nghu>,scn  .\\cmul,  .in  Kxcellcnt  Radial 
Thoroughfare,  Ineffective  Through  Its  Lack  of  Connection  with  a 
Traffic  Artery  in  the  Center  of  the  City. 

A  connection,  as  shown,  and  proposed  by  the  Plan  Commis- 
sion would  give  the  city  its  best  cross-town  thoroughfare. 


Newark. — Interurban  Trolley  Terminal. 
The   building  is  the  focus  of  all  of  the  radial   transit  lines. 

The  report  in  itself  is  not  only  of  interest  to  persons  living 
in  Essex  County,  but  it  contains  information  of  general 
value  and  interest  wherever  the  problem  of  city  planning, 
and  recreation,  in  particular  is  being  studied. 

Playgrounds. — There  are  at  present  twenty-one  school 
playgrounds,  nine  special  playgrounds,  and  twenty-five 
small  parks.  There  are  five  neighborhood  parks  with  a 
total  area  of  50  acres,  two  large  parks  with  a  total  of  58 ^ 
acres,  and  two  large  outlying  reservations,  not  within  the 
city  limits  but  readily  accessible  and  much  used,  with  an 
acreage  of  1,983.  One  of  the  first  steps  that  was  taken  by 
the  City  Planning  Commission  was  a  study  of  the  use  and 
accessibility  of  existing  playgrounds  and  need  of  further 
acquisitions.  In  19IJ,  with  the  assistance  of  Seymour 
Barnard,  of  New  York,  an  intensive  study  was  made  and 
some  particularly  interesting  data  was  acquired  on  the 
effective  radius  of  usefulness  of  playgrounds  for  children 
of  varying  ages. 

The  City  Planning  Commission  of  Newark  did  not 
give  as  much  attention  to  the  grouping  of  public  build- 
ings as  it  did  to  some  of  the  economic  features  of  the  city 
plan.  The  public  buildings  of  Newark  have  been  recently 
built  and  will  be  located  on  their  present  sites  tor  many 
years  to  come.   The  Commission,  however,  finds  that  there 


s^^^^s^^^ 


Newark. — Interurban  Trolley  Terminal  Near  the  Business  Center  of  the  City  with  Two  .Approaches,  One  a  Subway  Leading  to 
an  Underground  Floor,  the  Other  an  Elevated  Structure  Leading  from  an  Opposite  Direction  to  an  LIpper  Floor. 


cnv  I'LWNiNc;  procirkss 


1 II 


is  opportunit)'  tur  tin.-  creation  ot  a  center  ot  considerable 
importance  anci  architectural  interest  by  locating  a  new 
post  office  building  near  the  site  of  the  proposed  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  station,  and  through  Mr.  Bigelow  has  pre- 
pared a  plan  taking  advantage  of  this  opportunity  The 
important  feature  is  a  circular  plaza  with  the  railroad 
station  in  the  center  and  the  post  office  on  the  periphery. 
Zoning. — While  tentative  and  suggestive  studies  ha\-e 
been  made  by  the  Commission  tor  districting  in  Newark, 
actually  little  has  been  done  to  control  the  height  and  area 
of  buildings  and  the  character  of  occupancy  of  land  under 
private  ownership.  One  ot  the  things  which  the  Newark 
Citv   Planning  Commission  has  now  under  consideration 


the  phuming  ol  public  improvements  in  the  metropolitan 
area  and  of  making  such  improvements  a  part  of  a  general 
scheme  or  metropolitan  plan.  Such  matters  as  streets  and 
thoroughfares,  water-supply  systems,  subdivision  of 
unbuilt-up  districts,  waterways,  urban  and  interurban 
transit,  sanitary  t'acilities,  and  the  drafting  of  laws  have 
been  under  consideration. 

Mt'lropoliliDi  /-'/itnniiij^.  The  Citv  Planning  Commis- 
sion feels  that  a  great  need  is  the  preparation  of  a  plan  for 
the  metropolitan  district  based  upon  careful  investiga- 
tions. The  studies  made  by  the  Interurban  Conference, 
while  tentative,  are  the  outgrowth  of  the  thought  and 
experience  of  persons  who  are  fully  acquainted  with  the 


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PROPOSED     RELOCATION 

CENTRE      MARKET 

THE  NEi/VFIRK:  CITY  PLi^N    COMMISSION 


Newark. — Wholesale  .Auction  .Market, 
."^s  pro]inseil,  produce  will  be  sold  directly  from  cars,  at  auction  and  under  municipal  supervision. 


is  the  preparation  ot  a  scientific  plan  tor  districting,  as  has 
been  done  in  New  York  City. 

Interurban  Conference. — Newark  is  thecenterof  the  met- 
ropolitan district  of  New  Jersey.  This  district  includes  not 
less  than  eighteen  separate  municipal  subdivisions  in  three 
different  counties.  It  has  a  population  ot  about  700,000 
and  an  area  of  approximately  60  square  miles.  While 
several  communities  have  made  improvement  plans  in 
general,  these  have  been  made  from  the  standpoint  ot 
local  needs  rather  than  those  of  the  district  at  large.  The 
City  Planning  Commission  ot  Newark  through  its  Secre- 
tary, Harland  Bartholomew,  was  directly  responsible  tor 
the  organization,  in  1914,  of"The  Conference  on  Inter- 
urban Improvements  of  Newark  and  .Adjacent  Munici- 
palities" for  the   purpose  of  encouraging  cooperation   in 


existing  conditions  throughuut  the  entire  tlistrict.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  hopieful  signs  of  progress  in  the  city  plan- 
ning movement  that  these  towns  ot  the  metropolitan  area 
have  come  together  to  consider  ways  and  means  of  estab- 
lishing a  plan  in  so  vast  and  complex  an  area. 

Carrvini;  Out  the  Plans.  —  In  preparing  the  compre- 
hensive plan  published  in  191 5  the  City  Planning  Com- 
mission of  Newark  has  realizeii  that  what  is  needed  is 
liefiniteness  in  proposals  it  results  are  to  be  reacheil.  They 
have  submitted,  therefore,  a  chronological  and  financial 
program  for  the  execution  of  the  comprehensive  plan  pub- 
lished in  191  <;.  Fifty  years  is  the  time  limit  set  tor  the 
completion  of  the  plan.  The  projects  are  divided  into 
ten  groups,  each  project  to  be  undertaken  in  the  five- 
year  period  in  which  it  falls.     .An  annual  expenditure  of 


ii: 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


?i,ooo,ooo  is  proposed  to  complete  the  entire  phin  within 
the  fifty-year  period. 

Results. — One  ot"  the  particularly  strong  features  ot  the 
work  ot  the  Newark  City  Planning  Commission  is  the 
results  which  haye  followed  from  the  studies  and  recom- 
mendations made  in  the  fiye  years  ot  its  existence.  Traffic 
congestion   has  been   relieved;  trolley   transportation   has 


Newark. — Showing  Recommendations  in  Street  Extension 
and  Widening,  for  Overcoming  the  Handicaps  of  Haphazard 
Growth  in  a  Residential  Section  on  the  Outskirts  of  the  City. 

The  advantage  of  cooperation  between  Newark  and  the  towns 
on  the  border  is  in  this  instance  well  illustrated. 

been  made  much  more  expeditious  and  convenient;  proj- 
ects involving  the  expenditure  ot  several  million  dollars, 
notably  in  the  extension  and  cutting  through  of  streets, 
have  been  completed  or  are  now  under  way;  plans  for 
port  and  terminal  facilities  have  been  advanced  to  a  stage 
where  they  are  now  actually  serving  the  industries  of 
Newark;  and  the  whole  trend  of. municipal  activity  has 
been  placed  on  a  scientific  and  orderly  basis  due  to  the 
educational  work  which  the  Commission  has  carried  on. 
Great  credit  is  due  to  the  Newark  City  Plan  Commis- 
sion, as  a  whole,  for  the  accomplishment  outlined  above, 
particularly  to  David  Grotta,  the  first  president;  to  .Austin 
H.  McGregor,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Grotta  as  president, 
and  to  Frederick  J.  Keer,  the  present  incumbent  in  the 
latter  office;  to  John  Cotton  Dana,  a  former  member  of 
the  Commission  and  director  of  the  Newark  Public  Library; 
to  Christian  W.  Feigenspan,  a  member  of  the  Commission 
who  recently  gave  to  Newark  the  splendid  replica  of  the 
Colleoni  equestrian  statue,  and  to  Harland  Bartholomew, 
former  secretary  and  resident  engineer  to  the  Commission, 
now  engineer  to  the  St.  Louis  City  Plan  Commission;  to 
A.  B.  Cozzens,  the  present  secretary  of  the  Commission; 
to  Morris  R.  Sherrerd,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Board  of 


Street  and  Water  Commissioners  of  the  city  of  Newark, 
and  to  many  others. 

New  Bedford 

Massachusetts 

No  steps  have  been  taken  in  New  Bedford  (118,158) 
to  put  city  planning  on  a  proper  footing,  although  au- 
thority for  the  appointment  of  an  official  commission 
exists  under  the  Massachusetts  .Act  of  191.3.  The  Park 
Board,  of  which  Samuel  P.  Richmond  is  chairman,  realizes 
that  there  is  need  ot  comprehensive  planning,  of  park 
facilities  at  least,  and  in  a  recent  report  it  makes  a  plea 
tor  a  real  park  system  with  parkways,  small  squares  and 
playgrounds,  and  larger  reservations  laid  out  and  designed 
in  accordance  with  a  comprehensive  city  plan.  There  are 
but  221  acres  ot  park  space  in  the  city  at  this  time,  divided 
among  seven  parks  ranging  in  area  from  1  acre  to  94  acres. 
The  School  Board  of  New  Bedford  has  charge  of  play- 
grounds maintained  in  connection  with  the  public  school 
system. 

New  Britain 

Connecticut 

At  the  session  of  the  state  legislature  of  Connecticut 
in  1 91 5,  the  charter  of  New  Britain  (53,749)  was  amended 
to  provide  tor  the  creation  of  a  City  Planning  Commission. 
The  Commission,  which  was  appointed  shortly  after,  has 
not  yet  taken  up  city  planning  work  in  a  broad  way,  but 
it  has  given  consideration  to  certain  revisions  in  the  street 
system,  not  however  as  part  ot  a  comprehensive  plan.  The 
Commission  has  been  badly  handicapped  in  the  past  by 
its  failure  to  secure  appropriations.  The  legislature  of  1917 
was  petitioned  for  a  change  in  the  city  charter  that  would 
insure  an  annual  appropriation  to  the  Commission,  with 
power  to  carry  on  its  work. 

Unofficial  Activities. — The  Chamber  of  Commerce  ot 
New  Britain,  ot  which  A.  H.  Andrews  is  executive  secre- 
tary, is  a  new  organization  and  has  not  yet  taken  up  city 
planning  as  a  whole.  It  has  created  two  committees  on 
which  have  devolved  the  preparation  ot  a  tentative  plan 
for  the  improvement  ot  freight  and  terminal  conditions 
and  the  provision  of  waiting-rooms  for  street  railway 
passengers.  The  secretary  of  the  new  Chamber  is  actively 
interested  in  city  planning,  and,  with  his  support.  New 
Britain  city  planning  should  receive  a  decided  impetus  in 
the  near  future. 

New  Brunswick 

New  Jersey 

.-^s  an  outgrowth  of  the  movement  in  New  Brunswick 
(25,512)  to  build  a  new  city  hall,  the  city  has  secured, 
through  a  subcommittee  of  the  Board  of  Trade  (appointed 
in  March,  1916),  a  comprehensive  scheme  for  the  rearrange- 
ment of  a  portion  of  the  central  district  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Middlesex  County  buildings.  The  new  plan  involves 
the  taking  ot  an  area  equivalent  to  about  two  city  blocks, 
south  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Station  building  and 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


"3 


between  the  latter  Iniilding  and  the  three  county  IniiKiings, 
and  the  demolition  of  the  old  frame  buildings  thereon. 
In  the  center  ot  these  blocks  the  site  tor  the  new  city  hall 
is  located,  and  on  two  sides  ot  the  cleareti  area  the  con- 
struction ot  one  new  street  and  the  widening  ot  an  exist- 
ing street  is  proposed.  Beyond  the  cleared  area,  and  run- 
ning southward,  the  plan  calls  tor  a  parkway  running  into 
and  through  the  length  ot  an  old  cemetery  which,  under 
the  scheme,  will  be  converted  into  a  public  park.  This 
scheme  has  been  recognized  by  the  county  authorities, 
who  have  modified  the  plan  tor  the  location  of" a  new  countv 
jail  so  as  to  permit  of  the  construction  ot  one  of  the  new 
streets  bordering  the  proposed  city  hall  grounds. 

Waterjront. — .\  second  proposal  ot  the  Board  of  Trade, 
tor  which  plans  have  been  drawn,  is  that  for  a  new  dam  in 
the  Raritan  River,  below  the  city,  which  if  carried  out 
would  give  the  city  a  flood-tide  river  harbor  for  shipping. 
The  plan  would  permit  of  the  reclamation  of  additional 
waterfront  and  would  minimize  all  difficulties  now  con- 
fronting the  city  in  respect  to  a  sewage-disposal  plant. 
The  Board  of  Trade,  ot  which  T.  M.  Yorston  is  secretary, 
has  consistently  supported  city  planning,  and  Austin 
Scott,  former  Mayor,  is  actively  interested.  Charles 
McCormack  is  chairman  of  the  Housing  Committee  of 
the  Board.  No  official  commission  has  yet  been  appointed 
to  do  general  city  planning,  but  the  projects  above  des- 
cribed, when  realized,  will  doubtless  awaken  public  senti- 
ment and  secure  the  support  necessary  to  bring  about  the 
appointment  of  an  official  commission. 

Newbur^h 

New  York 

Newburgh-on-the-Hudson  (29,603)  was  settled  in  1708 
and  was  the  headquarters  ot  Washington  in  the  Revolution- 


ary War.  It  is  a  point  to  which  tourists  passing  up  the  Hud- 
son \'alley  resort.  But  N'ewburgh  is  remembered  l>v  all  land- 
scape architects  in  .America  as  the  home  of  .-Xntirew  Jackson 
Downing,  the  tounder  (jf  .American  lantiscapc  architecture. 
Prof'.  F.  .A.  Waugh  has  well  described  the  relation  existing 
between  Calvert  V'aux,  the  young  English  architect  who 
came  to  .America  in  1850,  and  Downing.  Upon  the  hitter's 
lieath,  Vaux  formed  a  professional  partnership  with  the 
late  Frederick  Law  Olmsted.  Downing  Park,  Newburgh's 
only  large  reservation,  is  named  in  memory  of  Downing, 
and  was  planneil  by  Messrs.  \'aux  antl  Olmsted  for  the 
city  ot  Newburgh,  as  a  mark  ot  respect  for  the  memory 
ot  Downing. 

Little  Use  of  Natural  Advantages.  While,  however, 
nature  has  done  her  best  for  Newburgh,  the  community 
has  not  taken  great  advantage  of  what  she  offers.  For 
example,  although  the  city  has  2  miles  of  waterfront  along 
one  of  the  finest  rivers  of  the  world,  it  has  not  a  single  foot 
that  has  been  made  available  tor  public  recreational  uses. 

Social  Survey. — Newburgh  has  also  her  serious  social 
problems,  which  recently  have  been  carefully  investigated 
by  the  people  ot  the  city;  in  tact,  Newburgh  is  among  the 
first  dozen  cities  of  the  country  to  be  "socially  surveyed" 
and  is  one  of  a  smaller  number  to  solve  the  project  itself. 
The  Newburgh  survey,  made  in  191J  by  the  Department 
of  Surveys  and  Exhibits  of  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation, 
with  Zenas  1..  Potter  as  director  of  field  work,  was  started 
i)y  Newburgh  people.  The  purpose  of  this  survey  was  and 
is  constructive;  it  was  not  aimed  to  humiliate  the  city  but 
to  impress  it.  The  project  was  undertaken  in  order  to 
learn  significant  tacts  ot  living  conditions  in  the  com- 
munity, to  make  recommendations  where  corrective  action 
is  needed,  and  to  acquaint  the  citizens  with  both  tacts  ami 
needs.  The  report  on  this  survey  was  published  in  a  volume 
entitled  "The  Newburgh  Survey,"  published  in  June,  1913. 
While  this  survey,  as  a  whole,  did  not  take  into  consider- 


PR0P05a> 
AND 

B^RK.  ADDTT30N5 
rt» 

NTVy  BRUNSWICK,  M J. 

,>JKE     BIS  SCAIX- 


New  Brunswick. — .A  Comprehensive  Scheme  for  the  Rearrangement  ot  a  Portion  ot  the  Central  District  ot  the  City,  Involving  the 
Clearance  of  Two  City  Blocks  Near  the  Railroad  Station,  the  Location  ot  Civic  Buildinys  Thereon,  the  Cutting-through  ot  New  .Streets, 
and  the  Construction  of  a  Parkway,  etc. 


114 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


ation  the  problems  ot  physical  development  of  the  city  to 
any  large  extent,  it  did  cover  the  park  and  recreational 
system.  With  this  beginning,  Newburgh  should  now 
undertake  to  develop  a  plan  for  its  future  growth  along 
lines  that  will,  in  the  future,  prevent  the  conditions  in 
undeveloped  areas  which  the  survey  reveals  in  the  exist- 
ing town. 

New  Haven 

Connecticut 

From  i6j8,  when  th©  first  plan  (the  historic  "nine 
square"  plan)  was  laid  out,  up  to  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  we  find  New  Haven  (149,685)  a  pleasing 
little  New  England  town  with  a  population  of  relatively 
independent,  individualistic,  self-sufficing  householders. 
But  with  the  opening  ot  the  industrial  era,  about  1850,  a 
rapid  and  profound  change  has  taken  place.  Long  known 
as  the  "City  of  Elms,"  that  appellation  is  no  longer  con- 
sonant with  conditions  in  the  city.  Two-  and  three-family 
houses  and  tenement  blocks  are  increasing,  the  open 
country  is  being  driven  beyond  ordinary  walking  distance, 
street  travel  is  increasing  much  faster  than  the  population, 
and  the  dependence  ot  the  people  upon  street  railway 
facilities  has  already  become  almost  as  complete  as  in 
the  great  centers  of  population. 

Civic  Impro'oement  Committee. — About  1907  certain  pub- 
lic spirited  citizens  ot  New  Haven  began  to  awaken  to  the 
urgent  need  of  some  comprehensive  plan  for  directing  the 
future  growth  of  the  city  along  rational  lines.  It  was 
(Jeorge  Dudley  Seymour,  ot  New  Haven,  who  took  the 
initiative  in  bringing  about  constructive  action.  He  was 
successful  m  securing  the  appointment  by  the  Mayor,  of  the 
New  Haven  Civic  Improvement  Committee  of  thirteen 
members.  The  Committee  met  for  the  first  time  in  July, 
1907,  and  at  that  time  decided  to  invite  Cass  Gilbert  and 
Frederick  Law  Olmsted  to  prepare  a  report  upon  the  im- 
provement of  the  city.  A  campaign  was  organized  for 
raising  J  10,000.  This  appeal  was  made  through  circulars 
and  the  press,  and  about  |8,ooo  was  subscribed  by  firms 
and  individuals. 

The  Report. — Messrs.  Gilbert  and  Olmsted  were  en- 
gaged and  collected  material  tor  their  report,  prepared 
plans  and  maps,  and  submitted  their  findings  in  February, 
1910.  This  report  was  in  the  nature  of  a  preliminary  study, 
detailed  studies  not  being  presented  at  the  time.  The 
problems  considered  covered  those  ot  immediate  and  future 
improvements  and  revolved  mainly  about  the  railroad 
terminals,  main  thoroughfares,  sewage  disposal,  local  parks 
and  playgrounds,  and  rural  parks.  This  general  discus- 
sion was  followed  by  a  detailed  discussion  ot  many  specific 
problems,    the   whole   constituting   a   general   scheme   ot 

New  Haven. — Bird's-Eye  View  ot  ."^ venue  120  Feet  Wide, 
Leading  from  New  Railroad  Station  to  a  Public  Square  or  Second- 
ary Civic  Center  and  thence  to  College  Green,  as  Proposed  by  the 
New  Haven  Improvement  Commission  in  1910. 

The  reasonableness  of  this  proposal  was  evident  at  the  time 
the  Commission's  recommendations  were  made.  In  February, 
lyi",  six  years  later,  an  alternate  scheme  was  devised,  involving 
the  widening  ot  Orange  Street  at  a  cost  ot  ^500,000,  which  now 
seems  assured. 


CITY    PLANNING    PRCXJRKSS 


IK 


improvement,  leaving  final  definite  plans  ti>  he  worked  out 
as  the  local  needs  and  engineering  necessities  or  econo- 
mies dictated.  Accompanying  the  report  as  an  Appendix, 
there  was  given  the  results  of  a  statistical  investigation 
into  the  social  and  economic  tendencies  of  the  citv,  matie 
at  the  request  of  the  experts,  by  Ronald  M.  Byrnes.  The 
report  was  published  in  a  large  volume,  with  a  number  of 
beautiful     illustrations,     ami     attracted     witle     attention 


Cily  Plaiiiiiii^  Cummissiuii. — Following  the  submission 
ot  the  report,  and  as  a  result  of  the  solicitation  of  members 
ot  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  an  amendment  to  the  city 
charter  was  secured,  providing  tor  the  appointment  of  an 
official  city  planning  commission.  This  Commission  was 
appointeil  and  has  been  in  existence  since  that  time, 
(ieorge  Dudley  Seymour  has  served  as  secretary.  Up  until 
the  present   year,   the   Commission   has   been   obliged   to 


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New  Haven. — Diagram,  Showing  in  Black,  .Areas  in  Which  are  Needed  More  .Small  Parks  tor  Local  Purpiiscs 
Graded  areas  represent  the  practical  limit  of  effective  range  of  existing  parks  for  local  purposes. 


throughout  the  countrv.    But  the  citizens  ot  New  Haven 
remained  apathetic. 

Results. — However,  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce,  through 
its  president,  Colonel  Ullman,  and  those  members  par- 
ticularly interested  in  city  planning,  have  remained  loyal 
to  the  movement,  and  a  number  ot  improvements  ulti- 
mately carried  out  are  directly  traceable  to  the  report, 
particularly  the  purchase  by  the  city  of  larger  playground 
facilities,  the  use  of  schoolhouses  as  recreational  centers, 
and  the  development  of  the  Green  as  a  civic  center. 


remain  practically  inactive,  owing  to  lack  of  funds  and  to 
the  attitude  of  the  city  administration  which  held  office 
up  to  the  close  of  1916.  With  the  inauguration  of  a  new- 
administration,  ot  which  Mavor  .Samuel  Campner  is  the 
head,  the  outlook  tor  city  planning  is  bright;  in  tact,  earlv 
in  March  of  this  year  a  project  in  modified  form,  which  the 
Civic  Improvement  Commission  strongly  recommended  in 
its  report,  was  brought  forward  and  seems  likely  to  be 
adopted.  This  is  the  plan  to  open  up  an  approach  to  the 
new  r'aiiroad  station,  involving  an  outlay  of  half  a  million 


ii6 


CITY   PLANNING    PR(3GRESS 


dollars.  This  approach,  as  laid  out  by  the  Civic  Improve- 
nicnt  Commission,  was  recognized  as  a  much  needed,  prac- 
tical, ami  esthetic  improvement,  and  was  carefully  studied. 
The  new  plan  which  the  city  is  about  to  adopt  is  the  crys- 
tallization of  the  tormer  studies  and  has  been  worked  out 
by  Frederick  L.  Ford,  City  Engineer,  formerly  a  member 
of  the  City  Planning  Commission  of  Hartford,  and  a  sup- 
porter of  rational  city  planning  in  the  latter  city  as  well  as 
in  New  Haven.  In  the  new  form  the  plan  for  the  approach 
involves  the  extension  of  an  important  thoroughfare, 
(Jrange  Street.  Ot  this  improvement  Mayor  Campner  has 
said  that  it  will  cost  about  a  halt  million  dollars,  but  the 
city  will  reap  many  times  over  that  amount  in  benefits. 
The  situation  is  well  summed  up  by  a  statement  made  at 
a  hearing  on  the  subject  by  David  E.  Fitzgerald,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  who  said: 

"We  have  reached  a  position  in  our  civic  life  in  New 
Haven  where  we  must  part  from  our  old  ideas  of  economy. 
That  spirit  has  kept  us  backward  instead  of  allowing  the 
city  to  push  forward.  Whatever  the  cost  ot  this  propo- 
sition to  the  city,  it  will  be  returned  to  New  Haven  mani- 
fold." 

New  Holland 

North  Carolina 

In  Hyde  County,  N.  C,  where,  a  few  years  ago,  a  great 
lake  called  Mattamuskeet,  with  50,000  acres  of  water  sur- 
face, existed,  there  are  today  hundreds  of  model  farming 
tracts  clustering  about  a  model  town.  The  tormer  Lake 
Mattamuskeet  lay  8  miles  from  the  .Atlantic  Ocean,  in  the 


heart  of  a  splendid  farming  country.  As  the  lake-bottom 
lay  about  ;i  feet  below  sea-level,  it  was  necessary  to  pump 
all  water  out  of  the  lake  to  begin  the  work  of  reclamation. 
A  great  system  of  canals  was  constructed  to  carry  the  sur- 
face water  from  every  part  of  the  district  to  a  mammoth 
pumping  plant,  capable  of  raising  this  water  up  and  pump- 
ing it  over  into  a  great  outfall  canal,  70  feet  wide,  whence 
it  flowed  to  the  sea,  8  miles  away.  This  outfall  canal  was 
constructed  broad  enough  and  deep  enough  for  transpor- 
tation purposes,  and  boats  carrying  freight  and  passengers 
already  go  and  come  on  it  every  day.  Over  two  years  were 
consumed  in  this  drainage  and  reclamation  work,  requiring 
the  construction  of  a  great  pumping  plant,  costing  ?2oo,ooo. 
As  a  part  of  the  development,  Harlan  P.  Kelsey,  land- 
scape architect,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  prepared  a  comprehen- 
sive plan  for  the  central  feature  of  the  entire  development, 
namely,  the  town  of  New  Holland.  This  town  is  laid  out 
on  the  most  modern  lines,  with  radiating  and  circumfer- 
ential arteries  and  boulevards.  Traversing  the  main  axis 
of  the  layout,  and  leading  to  the  ocean  outfall,  is  the  central 
canal  referred  to. 

The  total  outlay  for  each  acre  reclaimed  in  the  entire 
district  is  remarkably  small — $§.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  the  reclamation  of  lands  in  Holland  lying  under  Lake 
Haarlem  cost  |i20  an  acre,  the  reclamation  of  the  New 
Holland  lands  is  a  remarkable  commentary  on  modern 
scientific  methods. 

The  original  plan  tor  this  improvement  was  suggested 
by  the  Drainage  Division  of  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture of  Washington,  which  worked  out  the  details  for  the 
system  of  canals.    Besides  this,  the  engineering  features  ot 


New  Hoi-L.-iND. — Plan  of  Town,  the  Focus  ot"  the  New  Holland  Farms. 
On  the  main  axis,  is  the  great  outfall  canal  and  pumping  station,  the  delivery  point  of  a  system  of  canals  running  through  the 
entire  area  of  50,000  acres. 


CITY    PLANNIN(;    PR()(;RKSS 


117 


this  district  have  been  passed  updii  by  some  of  tile  emin- 
ent engineering  firms  of  this  country,  inchiding  the  J.  (i. 
White  F.ngineering  Corporation,  ot  New  '\'ork  Citv. 

Today,  in  the  shallow  bed  of  old  Lake  Mattamuskeet, 
there  is  a  fertile  land  with  not  a  tree  or  stone  to  impede 
cultivation,  now  ready  for  the  plow,  and  nearby  there  is 
being  laid  out  a  scientifically  planned  town  with  modern 
provisions  tor  social,  educational,  and  recreational  life  — 
with  schoolhouses,  playgrounds,  churches,  public  builii- 
ings,  parks,  community  centers,  anil  public  and  semi- 
public  buildings  attractively  grouped. 

New  London 

Connecticut 

Its  age,  its  picturesque  situation  between  Long  Island 
Sound  and  the  Thames  River,  and  its  irregular  topography 
have  combined  to  make  New  London  (20,985)  one  of  the 
most  interesting  cities  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  With  this  it 
has  a  remarkable  commercial  harbor  and  a  strategic  situ- 
ation between  New  York  and  Boston.  All  these  matters 
justify  it  in  planning  and  building  confidently  for  the 
future.  The  existing  plan  of  the  city  is  very  irregular  and 
the  street  system  in  the  older  parts  quite  mconvenient. 
.•\  great  deal  ot  study  will  have  to  be  given  to  the  working 
out  ot  a  better  thoroughtare  system.  Like  other  small 
American  cities,  it  has  given  little  attention  to  the  syste- 
matic acquisition  anci  development  ot  open  spaces,  parks, 
and  playgrounds. 

Parks  and  Playground  Plan. — The  first  step  in  the  direc- 
tion of  city  planning  was  taken  in  1913  by  the  Municipal 
.Art  Society  of  New  London  in  employing  John  Nolen  ot 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  to  prepare  a  plan  tor  a  park  and  play- 
ground system.  It  was  not  intended  that  a  comprehensive 
plan  should  be  prepared,  or  one  that  would  be  immediately 
put  into  effect.  The  purpose  ot  the  report  submitted  by 
Mr.  Nolen,  entitled  "General  Plan  ot  a  Park  and  Play- 
ground System,"  was  to  give  something  concrete  to  work 
to  and  for  and  especially  to  furnish  to  the  Park  Commis- 
sioners a  plan  for  the  future  acquisition  of  land  for  the 
development  of  new  streets,  squares,  playgrounds,  and 
parks.    The  report  treats  of  the  need  of  parks  for  New 


.aSi. 


New  London. — Children's  I'laygroumI,  Tennis-Courts,  anj 
Bo:ithouse  in  Shaw  Cove.  .Surroumlini;  Dwellings  Hiililcn  liy 
trees  and  Shrubs. 

London  anil  discusses,  in  oriler,  the  citv  sipiares  and  small 
f)pen  spaces,  schoolgrounds,  playgrounds  and  athletic 
fields,  neighborhood  parks,  large  outlying  reservations,  and 
inner  and  outer  parkway  system. 

Results. — Charles  S.  Palmer,  a  public-spirited  citizen 
in  New  London,  has  promoted  the  park  work  there  tor  a 
number  ot  years  and  has  at  last  succeeded  in  getting  the 
people  of  New  London  to  see  the  importance  of  a  compre- 
hensive park  program.  The  legislature  has  authorized 
the  city  to  issue  bonds  tor  the  amount  ot  Jioo.coo,  and 
the  Park  Board  has  already  acquired  certain  areas  sug- 
gested tor  purpose  ot  improvement. 


New  London. — Low  Shores  and  Mud  Mats  in  Shaw  Cove. 


New  Orleans 

I,()iiisian;i 

The  .'Association  ot  Commerce  ot  New  Orleans  (_i7  1 ,747) 
one  of  the  most  active  commercial  organizations  in  the 
South,  is  planning  an  active  campaign  tor  city  planning 
tluring  the  current  year  through  its  civic  division,  ot  which 
Charles  .Allen  Pavrot,  a  member  ot  the  Hoard  ot  Directors 
of  the  .American  Institute  ot  .Architects,  is  chairman.  It 
is  anticipated  that  a  sufficient  appropriation  trom  the 
budget  of  the  Association  will  be  made  to  actually  begin  a 
preliminary  survey  of  the  city.  With  this  as  a  foundation, 
it  is  hoped  to  arouse  public  sentiment  to  a  point  where  an 
official  commission  will  be  demanded  to  undertake  com- 
prehensive city  planning. 

Port  Terminal. — New  Orleans  has  alread\'  shown  that 
she  is  capable  of  carrying  through  civic  improvements  in 
a  large  wav  once  she  is  aroused.  The  remarkable  success 
that  has  attended  the  work  of  port  and  terminal  ilevelop- 
ment  in  New  Orleans  is  well  known  throughout  .America. 
The  city  ranked  second  among  the  ports  ot  the  country  in 
the  value  of  foreign  trade  in  the  year  ended  June  ,?o,  1914. 
This,  perhaps,  is  due  in  a  large  part  to  the  high  degree  of 
success  which  has  characterized  the  public  ownership  and 
operation  of  her  port  tacilities  uniler  the  direction  ot  the 
Board  of  Commissioners  of  the  Port  ot  New  Orleans.  .A 
full  description  of  this  work  is  containeii  in  "Ports  ot  the 
I'nited  States,"  Bulletin  .5,5,  Miscellaneous  Scries,  Bureau 
of  Foreign   and   Domestic  Commerce,  and  in   the  many 


ii8 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Newport. — Proposed  Development  of  Newport  Harbor  in  Connection  with  Docks  ot  New  England  Navigation  Company  and 
Railroad  Terminals.    Geo.  B.  Post  &  Sons,  Architects. 


publications  of  the  Port  Commissioners  who  had  as  their 
engineers,  Messrs.  Ford,  Bacon  and  Davis,  of  New  Yorl<. 
Transit. — The  Association  of  Commerce  is  starting 
(March,  1917)  a  thorough  study  of  the  whole  transit  and 
transportation  system  ot  the  city. 

Newport 

Rhode   Island 

During  the  two  years  past,  Newport  (30,108)  has  car- 
ried through  two  notable  public  improvements.  One  is  the 
complete  widening  of  Third  Street  from  33  feet  to  55  feet, 
and  the  other  is  the  widening  of  Bath  Road  from  about 
45  feet  to  112  feet.  Third  Street  now  affords  a  much  more 
attractive  approach  to  the  most  important  and  interest- 
ing part  of  Newport,  the  Naval  Station.  Bath  Road 
widening  now  extends  for  a  distance  of  1,000  feet.  The 
sum  of  135,000  has  been  appropriated  for  the  purpose  of 
improving  this  section.  Recently  a  |ioo,ooo  bond  issue 
was  authorized  for  the  purchase  of  land  to  carry  out  the 
further  widening  over  the  entire  length  of  the  street,  a 
total  of  3,500  feet.  It  seems  to  be  but  a  question  of  time 
when  the  widening  will  extend  to  the  harbor.  Newport  will 
then  have  one  of  the  finest  boulevards  in  the  country. 

Newport  has  also  acquired  land  along  the  harbor  shore, 
providing  a  connection  60  feet  wide  and  1,000  feet  in 
length.  It  is  supposed  that  at  some  future  time  this  road 
will  be  a  part  of  a  boulevard  formed  out  of  three  streets. 

Balh  Road  and  Easton  Beach. — The  Bath  Road  widen- 
ing has  been  the  subject  of  discussion  for  a  numberof  years, 
and  it  has  been  particularly  urged  by  Richard  C.  Derby, 
of  Newport,  who  has  probably  done  more  than  anyone 
else  in  the  city  to  bring  about  the  acquisition  of  this  fine 
approach  to  Easton  Beach.  The  latter  district  was  the 
subject  of  a  report  submitted  by  the  late  Frederick  Law 
Olmsted,  Sr.,  in  1893,  who  urged  at  that  time  that  meas- 
ures be  taken  to  safeguard  and  develop  this  important 
recreational  asset.  Unfortunately,  up  to  this  time,  very 
little  has  been  done  to  put  these  suggestions  into  effect. 

Plan   of  igiz. — About    191 2,   the   Newport   Improve- 


ment Association  engaged  Frederick  Law  Olmsted,  Jr., 
to  come  to  Newport  and  make  a  report.  The  plans  for 
Newport  were  published  in  pamphlet  form  and  contained 
recommendations  for  new  thoroughfares  and  for  a  park 
system. 

Civic  Organizations. — Newport  has  had  a  number  ot 
associations  which  have  accomplished  more  or  less  of 
value  and  made  recommendations  tor  improvements,  be- 
ginning with  the  Sanitary  Protective  Association,  organ- 
ized in  1778,  and  of  which  Richard  C.  Derby  is  now  an 
active  member;  the  Improvement  Association,  organized 
1889,  "°w  dissolved;  the  Civic  League,  organized  in  1904, 
in  which  Mrs.  John  Nicholas  Brown  is  active;  the  Board 
of  Trade,  organized  in  1904;  the  Newport  Improvement 
Association,  organized  in  191 1,  in  which  J.  T.  Spencer  is 
active;  the  .'\rt  Association,  organized  in  191 2;  and  the 
Housing  Association,  organized  in  1916,  which  has  for  its 
purpose  the  construction  of  small  cottages  for  employees 
of  the  United  States  Naval  Training  Station  and  Hospital. 
There  has  never  been  a  city  planning  association  or  com- 
mission. The  architects  have  taken  no  part  in  plans  for 
improvement. 

Recreation. — The  Public  School  Board  has  recently 
provided  an  excellent  and  efficient  supervisor  ot  recrea- 
tion. A  few  years  ago,  the  city  purchased  land  for  a 
recreational  park  in  the  northerly  part  of  the  city  and  land 
tor  another  park  in  the  southerly  part.  No  use  has  been 
made  of  school  buildings  for  community  center  purposes. 

New  Rochelle 

New  York 

One  of  the  important  cities  in  the  metropolitan  dis- 
trict of  New  York,  and  essentially  a  home  city  closely  con- 
nected with  New  York  in  its  life  and  activities,  is  New 
Rochelle  (37,759).  In  1916  the  Mayor  of  New  Rochelle, 
Edward  Stetson  Gritfing,  appointed  a  Board  of  City 
Development,  consisting  of  three  city  officials,  six  citizens, 
and  the  secretary  to  the  Mayor,  N.  H.  Halsted,  as  secre- 
tary.   The  Board  met  with  the  Westchester  County  Plan- 


CITY    PLANNING    PR()(;RF,SS 


1 19 


To  Atco'^PAKY  "Rj-poRT   or 


Newport. — Plan  of  the  Newport  Improvement  Association 
{191J),  Showing  Existing  antl  Proposed  Thoroughfares,  Parks^ 
and  Parkways. 

Heavy  dotted  Hnes  show  proposed  thoroughfares.  Bath  Road, 
shown  in  the  plan  leading  to  Easton  Beach,  is  now  being  wid- 
ened from  55  to  112  feet  for  its  length  of  ,3,500  feet. 

ning  Commission  in  White  Plains  last  June  and  partici- 
pated in  a  general  discussion  of  those  matters  which  apper- 
tain to  general  planning  throughout  the  county,  as  well 
as  matters  of  local  interest.  It  also  took  an  active  part  in 
the  great  conference  of  all  the  city  planning  workers 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  New  York  metropolitan  dis- 
trict, held  in  March,  1917. 

No  public  improvements  have  been  under  construction 


since  the  appointment  of  the  Board,  other  than  the  routine 
matters  of  the  engineering  staff  ot  the  city,  so  that  no 
matters  have  been  presented  for  the  consideration  of  the 
Board.  Up  to  this  date  no  steps  have  been  taken  to  insti- 
tute a  study  of  city  development  along  comprehensive 
lines. 

Newton 

Massachusetts 

The  risk  in  adopting  the  details  of  a  city  plan  before 
the  whole  is  stutiied  in  a  preliminary  way,  at  least,  is  well 
understooil  by  the  City  Planning  Board  of  Newton 
(4'i,7l5).     The  Board  has,  however,  maile  detailed  studies 


Newton. — Termusu.,  u:  Ml;:  >;-..:;. i:.  I'.i:!.  L  :.. Mission's 
Boulevard  to  Boston  on  the  Outskirts  of  the  City. 

.An  adequate  connection  with  this  drive  is  one  of  the  recent 
recommendations  of  the  Planning  Board.  Incidentally  it  involves 
the  relief  of  traffic  at  the  city  center. 

and  recommendations  in  regartl  to  two  important  items 
in  the  plan  of  Newton  which,  obviously,  will  be  compriseii 
in  whatever  larger  plan  may  be  adopted.  The  Board  has 
presented  its  recommendations  in  the  two  reports  issued 
in  December,  191 4,  and  December,  191 6.  The  two  vital 
problems  studied  are  the  widening  of  what  is  destined  to 
become  an  important  main  artery  in  the  city  and  the  im- 
provement of  traffic  conditions  at  the  central  square, 
called  Nonantum  Square.  In  its  study  of  the  latter  prob- 
lem, the  Board  was  authori/.eii  by  the  Board  of  .Alderman 
to  engage  .Arthur  A.  .ShurtlefF,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  they 
have  had  the  benefit  of  his  experience  and  advice  on  this 
special  problem.  The  Board,  with  the  advice  of  their 
expert,  has  prepared  a  map  showing  various  by-passes  by 
means  of  which  through  traffic  may  be  diverted  from  the 
Square  and  at  the  same  time  connection  made  with  the 
boulevard  leading  to  Boston,  built  by  the  Metropolitan 
Commission.  The  Board  feels  that  it  is  wise  to  make  an 
immediate  beginning  upon  a  portion  of  its  plan,  which  con- 
sists in  widening  ami  improving  an  unaccepted  and  partly 


I20 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRF.SS 


passable  road  that  would  link  up  to  the  improved  boule- 
vard connection  referred  to  above. 

Problems  of  a  Residence  Town. — The  Board  has  been 
unable  to  derive  suggestions  from  work  that  has  been  done 
by  planning  boards  in  different  parts  of  the  country  in 
recent  years,  owing  to  the  peculiar  conditions  with  which 
the  city  is  confronted.  Newton  is  essentially  a  residential 
city.  It  does  not  present  problems  connected  with  mer- 
cantile business,  with  manufacturing  centers  and  housing 
of  large  numbers  of  workers.  Newton  appears  likely  to 
be  a  citv  of  homes,  and   the  Planning  Board  believes  that 


Newton. — Another  View  ot  the  Metropolitan  Parte  Ltinimis- 
sion's  Boulevard  Looking  Toward  Newton,  an  Important  Link  in 
the  Radial  System  of  Thoroughfares,  not  Now  Properly  Coordi- 
nated with  the  Town  Plan. 

the   city  should   provide   for   its  very    best   development 
along  that  line. 

Need  oj  Thorough  Study. — The  Board  believes  that  an 
extended  investigation  of  the  city's  present  and  future 
needs  by  a  professional  city  planner  will  give  it  an  oppor- 
tunity to  be  useful  to  the  city  and  enable  it  sooner  to  ful- 
fil the  purpose  for  which  it  was  created.  It  recognizes  that 
its  task  is  one  that  cannot  be  undertaken  lightly,  and  that, 
if  rightly  done  under  expert  guidance,  a  comprehensive 
plan  will  be  an  important  element  in  the  growth  and 
development  of  Newton  for  many  generations.  Charles 
F.  Gibson  is  chairman  of  the  Board  and  Vernon  B.  Swett 
is  secretary. 

New  York 

New  York 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  greatest  single  achievement 
in  city  planning  in  America  and  "the  greatest  thing  New 
York  City  (5,602,841)  has  ever  done,"  to  quote  George 
McAneny,  ex-president  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  is  the 
comprehensive  zoning  law  which  was  put  into  effect  on 
July  25,  1916,  by  a  virtually  unanimous  vote  of  the  Board 
of  Estimate  and  Apportionment.  All  future  buildings 
are  restricted  as  to  their  height,  size,  and  use,  and  the 


restrictions  vary  in  different  parts  of  the  327  square  miles 
of  the  city.  The  first  step  in  this  direction  was  taken  by 
Mr.  McAneny,  then  president  of  the  Borough  of  Man- 
hattan, when,  early  in  1913,  he  proposed  the  appointment 
of  a  commission  to  study  the  limitation  of  the  height,  size, 
and  arrangement  of  buildings.  This  resulted  in  the  ap- 
pointment by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment, 
in  March,  1913,  of  the  Heights  of  Buildings  Commission, 
which  consisted  of  nineteen  members,  with  Edward  M. 
Bassett,  formerly  Public  Service  Commissioner,  as  chair- 
man, and  George  B.  Ford  as  secretary  and  director  of 
investigations,  and  Robert  H.  Whitten  as  special  investi- 
gator and  editor  of  the  report.  An  appropriation  of  I15,- 
000  was  secured,  and  with  a  competent  staff,  consisting 
of  some  thirty-six  members  in  all,  data  were  collected, 
more  detailed  perhaps  than  had  ever  been  assembled  in 
."America  before  for  the  study  of  a  specific  city  planning 
problem.  The  result  of  the  work  of  this  Commission  was 
the  submission  ot  a  voluminous  report  to  the  Board  of 
Estimate  and  Apportionment  in  1913,  in  which  they  rec- 
ommended a  general  height  limitation  for  the  whole  city, 
and  particularly  that  the  city  should  be  restricted  with 
different  height,  area,  and  character  of  occupancy  regula- 
tions for  different  parts  of  the  city.  Realizing  that  the 
city  charter  probably  would  not  permit  such  districting, 
the  Commission  framed  two  charter  amendments  which 
would  give  the  city  this  power.  These  two  amendments 
were  passed  by  the  state  legislature  and  became  a  law  in 
May,  1914. 

Zoning. — In  June,  1914,  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
.'Apportionment,  upon  the  report  ot  its  recently  organized 
Committee  on  the  City  Plan,  of  which  Mr.  McAneny  was 
chairman,  appointed  a  Commission  on  Building  Districts 
and  Restrictions  again,  with  Edward  H.  Bassett  as  chair- 
man and  with  seventeen  members,  many  ot  whom  were 
on  the  former  Commission.  Robert  H.  Whitten,  the 
secretary  of  the  Committee  on  the  City  Plan,  also  served 
as  secretary  to  this  new  Commission,  and  George  B.  Ford 
as  its  consultant.  With  a  large  staff,  the  Commission  began 
active  work,  first  determining  a  proper  method  of  pro- 
cedure and  plan  of  action.  As  there  was  almost  no  prec- 
edent for  an  undertaking  of  this  sort,  it  was  very  difficult 
to  find  a  point  of  departure.  The  first  thing  it  decided  to 
do  was  to  become  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  existing 
tendencies  with  regard  to  all  phases  ot  the  city's  develop- 
ment. An  intensive  study  of  building  development  and  ot 
present  and  future  conditions  with  regard  to  transit  and 
the  distribution  of  population  in  New  York  was  made  tor 
the  Commission  by  John  P.  Fox,  Herbert  S.  Swan,  Geo. 
W.  Tuttle,  E.  M.  Law  and  others.  Frank  B.  Williams, 
Chairman  of  the  City  Plan  Committee  of  the  City  Club, 
made  two  trips  to  Europe  to  study  the  effect  of  the  dis- 
tricting and  zoning  laws  there.  .\  detailed  study  was  made 
of  what  other  American  cities  have  done  toward  controll- 
ing the  height,  size,  or  use  ot  their  buildings,  but  as  no 
city  had  begun  to  approach  the  subject  in  a  comprehensive 
way,  the  Commission  found  it  necessary  to  go  back  to 
fundamentals.  The  first  year  was  spent,  therefore,  in 
collecting  this  data  and  in  getting  it  into  form  for  use. 

The  Commission  held  innumerable  conferences  and,  in 
all,  some  sixty  public  hearings.  The  law,  as  passed,  is  not 
the  work  of  a  limited  group  of  men  but  is  the  tesult  ot  the 


CITY    PI.ANNIN'C;    PR()(;RKSS 


121 


CriY  OF  NEW  YORK 
BOARD  or  ESTIMATE  AND  APPORTIONMENT 

COMMISSION  ON  BUILDING  DISTRICTS  AND  RESTRICTIONS 
MAP 

ACCOMPANVING  TENTATIVE  REPORT  OF  MARCH  I0«  1916 


New  York. — Use  Districts  in  tliL  B(  r  imli  ot  M  inh  itt  in  ill 
Part  of  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn,  as  haul  IJown  in  the  tentative 
Report  to  the  Board  of  Estimate. 

The  unrestricted  districts  are  chiefly  located  along  the  rail- 
way terminals  and  the  navigable  waterfront.  Business  districts, 
except  in  the  main  centers,  are  for  the  most  part  maiie  up  ot 
frontage  on  both  sides  of  the  traffic  thoroughfares. 


combineii  thought  of  thousamis  of  people  from  all  parts  of 
the  citv.  The  work  of  the  two  commissions  is  summed  up 
in  a  final  report  which  was  issued  in  .April,  1917.  Mean- 
while, the  law  as  enacted  has  been  in  force  throughout  the 
city  since  July  25,  \t)\h. 

Early  P/tiniiing.-WucU  good  work  in  planning  tor  the 
physical  needs  of  New  York  City  has  been  done  at  various 
times  in  the  past.  That  the  street  system  of  Manhattan  is 
not  of  the  crazy-tjuilt  design  that  some  cities  have,  is  the 
result  of  con.scious  planning  by  special  commissions,  and, 
since  1902,  by  permanent  borough  topographic  bureaus. 
The  first  commission  with  planning  powers  was  that 
appointed  by  the  legislature  in  1807  to  draft  and  lay  down 
a  plan  for  the  Island  of  Manhattan.  With  all  the  faults  of 
the  gridiron  plan  which  was  evolved,  we  can  not  but 
admire  the  vision  of  the  men  who  planned  (or  a  great  city, 
exteiuiing  for  about  S  miles  northward,  along  the  Island 
of  Manhattan,  through  undeveloped  territory.  The  sub- 
sequent commissions,  particularly  the  one  appointed  in 
1S60  to  plan  out  the  northern  portions  of  Manhattan  and 


New  York. — Section  of  Final  Districting  Plan  in  Korce  in 
the  City  of  New  York,  Showing  U.se  Zones  in  that  Part  of  the 
Borough  of  Manhattan  just  South  of  Central  Park. 

Note  restrictions  added  since  the  issue  of  the  Tentative  Map. 
Streets  left  white  are  restricted  to  residence  use  only.  In  streets 
in  black  residence  and  business  uses  are  permitted.  Streets  with 
black  dots  are  unrestricted. 


122 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


CnV  OF  NEW  YORK 
BOARD  OF  ESTIMATE  AND  APPORTIONMENT 

COMMISSION  ON  BUILDING  DISTRICTS  AND  RESTRICTIONS 
MAP 

ACCOMPANYING  TENTATIVE   DEPORT  OF  MARCH   IC  1916 
SHOWING 

TENTATIVE  HEIGHT  DISTRICTS 

IN  THE 

BOROUGH  or  MANHATTAN 

EXPLANATION 
1   •  I    hmtt  jtrid  uijtti  M  nol  mori  than  lOO  (*«l 

TA-i* les  ■ 

l)*-Ui ISO    • 

2-z mo  ' 

Z)i'ZH Z5Q   ■ 


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Ki 


parts  of  the  Bronx,  also  performed  quite  remarkable  work. 
When,  in  1871,  the  powers  of  this  commission  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  Department  of  the  Public  Parks,  Frederick 
Law  Olmsted,  Sr.,  was  one  of  those  who  helped  in  the 
work,  particularly  in  the  west  Bronx,  he  having  previously 
been  engaged  in  planning  Central  Park  in  New  York  City, 
beginning  in  1856.  Thus  it  is  seen  that  New  York  City  has 
in  the  past  tried  various  administrative  methods  of  plan- 
ning the  layout  of  undeveloped  areas.  Generally  the  plan 
remained  with  no  provision  for  future  development  or  tor 
a  change  in  the  slightest  detail  without  a  special  act  of  the 
legislature.  But  the  work  ot  the  Central  Park  Commission 
and  its  successor,  the  Department  of  Public  Works,  was 
a  distinct  step  in  advance. 

Present  Planning  Methods. — In  1898,  with  the  adoption 
of  a  new  charter,  which  provided  for  the  present  Greater 
New  York  borough  system  in  which  Brooklyn,  Queens, 
Richmond,  The  Bronx,  and  the  Island  of  Manhattan  were 
all  included  under  a  single  administrative  government,  the 
machinery  for  the  laying  out  of  the  street  system  was 
primarily  vested  in  the  borough  presidents,  and  the  legali- 
zation of  all  these  plans  requires  specific  approval  on  the 
part  of  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment.  Since 
January  I,  1902,  the  city  has  adopted  final  maps  for  most 
of  the  city  area,  aggregating  approximately  33, 5j6  acres, 
while  a  total  of  approximately  45,438  additional  acres  in 
these  boroughs  has  been  tentatively  mapped  and  is  await- 


'■(.■ 

Ne\  \_kk.     hL.^I..  D t, 

and  Part  of  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn. 

The  charter  amendment,  under  which  the  2one  plan  was 
adopted,  directed  the  Distributing  Commission,  before  submit" 
ting  its  final  report  to  the  Board  of  Estimate,  to  make  a  tentative 
report  and  plan  and  hold  public  hearings  thereon.  A  part  of  the 
tentative  map  is  shown  above. 


New  York. — Section  of  Final  Zone  Plan  Put  into  Effect  by 
the  City  of  New  York  on  July,  1916,  Showing  Height  Restric- 
tions in  Force  in  That  Part  of  the  Borough  of  Manhattan  just 
South  of  Central  Park. 

In  the  center  of  areas  enclosed  with  heavy  black  lines  are 
large  figures.  The  height  limit  in  such  areas  is  the  width  of  the 
street  multiplied  by  the  corresponding  figure. 


CITY   PLANNING    PROCRl'.SS 


CFTY  OF  NEW  YORK 
BOARD  OF  ESTIMATE  AND  APPORTIONMENT 

COMMISSION  ON  BUILDING  DISTRICTS  AND  RESTRICTIONS 
MAP 

ACC0MPAWY1NG  TCMTATIVt  RCPORT  OF  MARCH  10'  1916 
SHOWING 

TENTATIVE   AREA   DISTRICTS 

IN  THE 

BOROUGH  or  MANHATTAN 


ing  conversion  into  tlu-  final  maps.     Only  almut    io  per 
cent  of  the  city  is  yet  lacking  a  street  plan. 

First  Improirnii-iil  Comnii.<sion.^\' unoiis  schemes  have 
been  put  torwani  for  modifying  the  plans  of  those  portions 
of  the  city  already  mapped,  but  none  of  them  have  had  the 
official  character  of  those  proposed  i>y  the  New  'i'ork  City 
Improvement  Commission,  created  by  ordinance  in  190.I, 
in  its  report  which  was  submitted  January,  1907.  This 
report  was  accompanied  by  a  number  ot  plans,  many  of 
which  were  commendable,  but  some  of  which  were  ambi- 
tious and  extravagant  beyond  possibility  ot  realization, 
while  some  of  them  also  ignoreii  conditions  which  then 
existed  or  improvements  then  under  way  which  would 
have  rendered  their  execution  impossible.  Some  ot  the 
projects  suggested  in  this  report  have  already  been  carrieil 
out,  however,  or  are  under  way,  including  the  widening  ot 
I'ifth  Avenue  roadway,  the  southerly  extension  of  Seventh 
.Avenue,  and  the  like.  The  projects  were  confined  mostly 
to  the  built-up  portions  of  the  city  where  the  cost  of  acquir- 
ing land  needed  for  them  would  have  been  so  great  that 
few  of  them  could  be  imdertakcn.  One  notable  exception 
was  the  admirable  recommendation  ot  the  Commission 
for  the  establishment  of  a  svstem  of  parks  in  the  boroughs 


New  York.— .Arci  District  in  Manhattan  and  Part  of 
Brooklyn,  as  Shown  in  Tentative  Report  to  the  Board  of  Estimate. 

The  maximum  beneficial  use  of  any  given  city  area  is  depend- 
ent on  a  certain  measure  of  uniformity  in  its  development  as 
regards  private  open  spaces.  The  New  York  districting  plan 
accordingly  establishes  zones  for  the  purpose  of  regulatmg  the 
areas  of  yards,  courts,  and  open  spaces. 


New  Y'ork.— Section  of  Final  Zone  Plan  Adopted  by  the  City 
of  New  York,  Showing  .Area  Restrictions  in  a  Section  of  Brooklyn. 

The  area  districts  are,  A — es,sentially  a  warehouse  district; 
B  and  C — residence  sections  in  which  a  tenement  or  apartment 
house  development  is  anticipated;  O— sections  in  which  de- 
t.iched  or  terraced  houses  will  be  allowed;  F— areas  where  a 
high-class  villa  development  seems  appropriate. 


124 


CnV   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


ot  Brooklyn  and  Queens,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that 
nothing  was  done  to  carry  out  this  suggestion. 

Brooklyn  Committee  on  the  City  Plan. — The  next  notable 
movement  for  comprehensive  planning  was  that  started 
and  consummated  by  the  Brooklyn  Committee  on  City 
Plan,  organized   in   December,    191 1,   with    Frederick   B. 


the  rapid  transit  system  and  the  surface  car  system  as 
fixed.  Diagrams  and  charts  were  made  and,  as  a  result, 
plans  were  submitted  for  the  solution  of  the  traffic  prob- 
lems, the  development  of  thoroughfares,  the  location  of 
parks  and  playgrounds,  the  improvement  of  the  water- 
front, and  the  location  of  an  educational  and  civic  center, 


Tlir     rVtMNC     POIT      VEW     VOBf       MOMIAV.     »IM«CR     1 


SHALL  WE  SAVE  NEW  YORK? 

A  Vital  Question  To  Every  One 
Who  Has  Pride  In  This  Great  City 

SHALL  v\c  save  New  ^'ork  from  what'  Shall  we  save  it  from  unnatuTBl  and 
uniicressary  crowding,  from  dcpopulaicH  sections,  from  bemg  a  cily  unbeau- 
tiful.from  high  rents,  from  excessive  and  illy  distribntcxJ  taxation?  We  can  save 
It  from  all  of  these,  so  far  at  least  as  they  arc  caused  by  one  specified  mdustnal 
evil— the  erection  of  factories  in  the  residential  and  famous  retail  section. 


The  Factory  Invasion  of  the  Shopping  District 

The  taiton.s  nukini^  ili.ihing.  rloaks,  suits,  furs,  (vrii- 
roais,  eir  ,  H.'m  toned  ihi-  large  stores  from  one  s«tic>ri 
and  (ollovifd  ih'-ni  10  a  new  one.  dcpleling  ir  of  irs  nornirtl 
roidciii^  and  filling  ii  u  iih  bui-  lofi  buildings  displacing  homes- 

Thc  (ale  ol  ihc  -^ctinns  d^'iA-n  town  now  rhr^atens  rhc  fine 
residential  and  chopping  distiitl  of  Fiflh  Avenue.  Broadway, 
upper  Sixih  and  Madison  A\cnues  and  the  cross  strecta  It 
requires  cone enif.i red  co-oper,iiivr  anion  to  stem  ihi^  invading 
tide  The  e\il  i-.  i-onstunlly  mcrcdsing.  it  IS  grou-mg  more 
serious  and  more  difficult  10  liandic      It  needs  instant  aci.on 

The  Trail  of  Vacant  Bu3dingt 

Shall  rhr  lim-sr  rei.iil  and  retidcntial  sections  in  the  vorld. 
from  Thiny-iliird  Sircrl  iiDriit,  become  blighted  ihe  way  .the 
old  parts  of  NcwYork  h.ive  br«n? 

The  lower  "lioii-salc  aiid  r-jiail  disfricfs  are  desencd.  and 
Iherr  IS  now  rnoiigh  \arani  S[^ince  to  ac^rommodaic  man^ 
times  over  ilic  luaiiiiljciurntg  plants  of  the  city.  (/  n^r 
liii)i!rrii  [o>  turn  l-uiliiint^s  fii'-  r.  guirrt/,  why  not  encouraffr 
III.-  ,i,.u-"i  ■■/  ,((/'/(  \ir-7i. riirr\  HI  thai  section  instrad  '\f 
•  'xftiiiC  Jii'l"ii/  hiii/(/iri£'  in  fliir  mtdil  of  our  homeS  Ord 
llii-    rrl'ii/  ^11  liniis 

NOTICE  TO  ALL  INTERESTED 

IN  View  nf  the  factt  herein  $et  forth  u*e  uiith  to  give  publicity  to  the  following  nofice.-— We,  tht  under- 
ligned  merchiinU  and  uich  otheri  a>  may  later  join  with  ui,  will  give  the  prefereoce  in  our  purchates 
or  tuils,  cloaki,  fur*,  ckithioj,  pettkoaU,  rtc  ,  to  rirrru  whose  manufacturing  plant*  are  located  outside 
of  a  zone  bounded  by)  e  upper  aide  of  Thirty -third  Street,  Fifty -ninth  Street,  Third  artd  Seventh  Avenue*, 
alio  irtduHing  thirty-*  j^md  and  thirty-third  Streets,  from  Sixth  to  Seventh  Avenue* 

February  1«l.  1917,  it  the  time  that  thi*  notice  goe&  into  effect,  bo  as  lo  enable  manufacturer*  now 
located  in  thi*  zone  to  aecure  other  quarter*  Coniideration  will  be  given  to  those  firms  that 
remove  their  plants  from  this  rot»e.  This  plan  will  ultimntely  be  for  the  benefit  of  the  different  manufac- 
turer* in  the  above  mentioned  Hne*,  as  amon^  other  reasons  they  will  have  the  benefit  of  lower  rentslf. 


How  it  Affects  the  City  and  its  Citizens 

li  IS  impossible  to  have  a  city  beautiful,  comtonablf  or  sate 
iini1<i  su(  h  conditions  The  unnatural  rongesfion  sacrifices 
fine  residence  blot  Its  for  factories.  whK  ti  remain  lor  a  time  and 
(hen  move  on  to  devastate  or  depreciaff  another  sei  tion,leB%- 
mg  iiply  St  ars  ol  blocks  o(  empr\'  buildings  unused  by  business 
and  ufiadapled  lor  residence    thus  unsettling  real  estate  valuer 

How  it  Affects  the  Tax-payer 

Every  man  tn  the  city  pays  taxes  either  as  owner  or  tenanL 
The  w  idc  area  ol  vacant  or  depreciated  property  in  the  lower 
rniddle  part  of  lown  means  reduced  laxe^s.  leaving  s  deficit 
made  up  by  extra  assessment  on  ottier  se'  Hems  Taxe*  have 
£iouT>  to  startling  figures  and  this  affects  alt  micrests. 

The  Need  of  Co-operative  Action 

In  order  that  the  impending  menace  to  all  interests  may  be 
checked  and  to  prevents  destruction  similar  to  ihatwhichhas 
occurri'H  below  Twenty-third  Street 


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CouTlesy  Tbc  .American  City 

New  York.. — A  Full  Page  Advertisement  Which  Appeared  in  All  of  the  New  York  Papers  on  March  5  and  6,  1916. 
Fifth  Avenue,  New  York's  finest  shopping  street,  has  been  partially  ruined  as  such,  in  certain  sections  by  the  hordes  ot  factory 
operatives  which  swarm  into  it  at  noon  from  the  garment  factories  on  the  intersecting  streets;  and  other  portions  are  threatened  with 
the  same  fate.    The  merchants  of  Fifth  Avenue  banded  together  not  only  to  secure  the  adoption  of  the  New  York  Zoning  Law  but  to 
make  its  principles  retroactive  by  forcing  the  factory  operators  out  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  region  into  other  sections. 

Pratt  as  chairman.    Edward  H.  Bennett  of  Chicago  was  and  the  like.     Upon  receiving   the   plan,  the  Committee 

appointed  consultant,  and  he,  with  his  staff,  spent  about  undertook  a  borough-wide  publicity  campaign  and  con- 

a  year  and  a  half  in  studying  Brooklyn's  city  planning  tinued  to  study,  and  is  now  studying,  in  the  order  of  their 

problems  and  in  devising  a  scheme  for  betterment  and  for  urgency,  the  problems  confronting  Brooklyn  and  is  making 

future  development.    The  Committee  did  not  study  the  definite  recommendations   from   time  to  time  concerning 

housing  problem  or  the  districting  problem,  and  it  accepted  them. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRF.SS 


Mi 


Port  iiiui  Teniiiiui/  Progress. — Port  anil  terminal  facili- 
ties in  New  York  have  received  study  Ijy  the  various  Dock 
Commissioners,  by  the  head  of  the  city's  finance  depart- 
ment, and  by  E.  P.  Goodrich,  former  consulting  engineer 
to  the  Board  of  F^stimate  and  Apportionment.  A  strong 
sentiment  exists  for  the  appointment  of  a  special  commis- 
sion, with  an  ample  appropriation,  to  devise  a  comprehen- 
sive plan  tor  the  improvement  and  development  of  New 
^'ork's  watertront  tor  commercial  ;ind  industrial  pur- 
poses. 

Transit  System.  —Manhattan,  The  Bronx,  Hrooklvn, 
Queens,  and  Richmond,  the  five  boroughs  which  consti- 
tute the  greater  city,  although  separate  from  each  other 
phvsically,  form  a  city  approximately  included  in  a  semi- 
circle of  1 8  miles  radius.  The  objective  point  for  most  of 
the  travelers  on  the  transit  systems  in  Greater  New  York 
is  the  lower  portion  ot  Manhattan.  The  great  dual  sys- 
tem of  rapid  transit  lines,  which  is  now  nearing  completion, 
is  based  on  this  condition.  The  public  service  along  this 
new  system  will  be  nearly  five  times  as  great  as  the  present 
subway  service.  The  city  is  in  control  ot  the  entire  system. 
Never  before,  in  any  other  city  in  this  country,  has  an 
attempt  been  made  to  develop  the  transit  facilities  in  a 
way  that  is  as  comprehensive  as  the  method  followed  in  the 
development  ot  the  dual  system.  There  is  one  thing,  how- 
ever, to  be  said  ot  this  system,  tor  the  benefit  ot  other 
cities;  that  is,  notwithstanding  the  numerous  benefits  which 
are  accruing,  and  will  accrue,  to  the  city  ot  New  York  In 
its  comprehensive  planning  ot  rapid  transit  lines,  it  has 

New  York. — Seventh  Avenue  Improvement  Recommended  by 
New  York  Improvement  Commission  (1907),  Showing  Cutting- 
through  of  a  New  Street  and  Widening  of  an  Existing  Street  to 
Form  a  Traffic  .'\rtery  100  Feet  Wide. 

A  four-track  rapid  transit  subway  is  now  being  constructed  in 
the  route  ol  the  new  street. 


Courtesy  Nelsi 


IsiS^^^x 


/'.  Lc 


New  York.— Bush   Terminal  and  Industrial  City,  a  Fine  Example  of  Coordinated  Development,  Kstahlisheil  by  Private  l-.nte 
prise  in  1895  °"  What  was  Then  a  Remote  and  Neglected  Section  of  the  South  Brooklyn  Waterfront. 

The  property  covers  200  acres.   The  piers,  with  an  area  of  over  1)4  million  feet,  are  among  the  longest  in  the  worl 
warehouses,  10  reinforced  concrete  loft  buildings  six  stories  in  height  for  manufacturing  purposes,  a  termina 
track  and  yard  space  for  2,000  cars. 


There  are  ijo 
railroad  with  2s  miles  of 


126 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


New  York. — View  of  Propuseil  Model  Unit  Retail  Public- 
Market,  Prepared  for  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  National 
Housewives'  League. 

not,  and  cannot,  realize  all  ot  the  advantages  of  its  enor- 
mous investment  ot  these  lines  because  the  problem  ol 
transportation  was  studied  independently  of  many  of  the 
other  great  features  of  the  city  plan.  The  result  today 
begins  to  show  much  that  might  have  been  improved. 
To  cover  in  outline  all  of  the  great  projects  of  a  city 
planning  character  which  have  been  consummated  in 
recent  years  in  the  city  of  New  York  would  require  a 
volume,  but  reference  at  least  should  be  made  to  the 
report  of  Messrs.  Olmsted  and  Brunner  on  the  extension  of 


New  York. — View  ot  Portion  of  Proposed  Model  Unit  Ter- 
minal Market,  Prepared  for  the  P.xecutive  Committee  ot  the 
National  Housewives'  League,  in  which  the  Coordination  ot  Rail, 
Horse,  and  Motor  Deliveries  with  Sales,  Storage,  and  Manufac- 
turing Departments  Has  Been  Carefully  Studied. 

Riverside  Drive;  to  the  great  west  side  improvement  pro- 
ject for  facilitation  of  freight  movements  into  lower  Man- 
hattan, which  has  been  studied  by  numerous  commissions, 
engineers  and  city  authorities  in  the  last  ten  years;  to  the 
great  barge  canal  project  with  its  terminals  in  various 
parts  of  New  York  City;  to  the  Grand  Central  terminal 


BIRD'SJYE  FERSFECTIVE  OF  A  NEIGHBORHOOD  CENTRE 

New  York. — Scheme  tor  a  .Neighborhood  Center  on  a  Hillside  Overlooking  the  Harlem  River  Near  Washington  Bridge. 
This  plan  was  awarded  the  first  prize  in  the  Chicago  City  Club's  Neighborhood  Center  Competition.  Schenck  and  Mead,  .Architects. 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRKSS 


12- 


passenger  development,  which  is  unique  in  America;  to 
the  great  terminal  Uy  which  the  Pennsylvania  lines,  run- 
ning in  tubes  under  the  Hudson,  reach  the  heart  of  New 
York;  to  the  New  York  Connecting  railway,  and  to  manv 
other  schemes  of  great  size  and  importance. 

Street  Traffic. — The  most  urgent  problem  in  New  York 
today  is  the  handling  of  street  traffic.  So  acute  has  this 
become  that  a  number  ot  the  leading  organizations  in  the 
city  have  petitioned  the  Boaril  of  F.stimate  and  .Appor- 
tionment to  appoint  a  traffic  commission  to  thoroughly 
study  the  problem  tor  the  whole  city.  It  is  probable  that 
such  a  commission  will  have  been  appointed  before  the 
publication  ot  this  book.  Robert  H.  Whitten  will  be  secre- 
tary to  the  commission  and  George  B.  Ford,  consultant. 

Niagara  Falls 

New  York 

With  the  adoption  ot  the  commission  manager  form  of 
government,  Niagara  Falls  (J7,J53)  has  taken  up  the  work 
of  comprehensive  city  planning.  In  January,  1917,  the 
city  employed  John  Nolen,  ot  Cambridge,  Mass.,  to  pre- 
pare a  plan  for  the  city.  A  former  City  Planning  Com- 
mission (appointed  in  1914  under  the  State  City  Planning 
Law  ot  191,5,  Chap.  699)  was  abolished  on  January  i,  1916, 
with  the  niitiation  ot  the  commission  manager  govern- 
ment, and  the  work  taken  over  by  the  City  Council,  as 
provided  in  the  new  city  charter. 

Parks. — Niagara  F'alls  is  in  need  of  a  comprehensive 
plan,  particularly  from  the  standpoint  ot  parks,  open 
spaces,  and  recreation  facilities.  The  city  has  two  parks 
ot  about  jj  acres  each,  one  waterfront  park  of  2  acres,  anil 
no  boulevards.    There  is,  however,  a  reservation  arounil 


<-^-?>!r^- 


Norfolk. — The  Water  Gate  at  The  Hague. 


Niagara  Falls,  accessible  to  the  people  of  the  city,  under 
the  ownership  of  the  state  of  New  ^"ork.  Plavgroumls  arc 
much  needed.  With  the  exception  of  the  land  used  for 
play  around  the  high  school,  there  arc  virtually  no  reser- 
vations tor  this  purpose.  Grade  crossing  elimination  is 
being  studied  by  an  advisory  commission.  The  develop- 
ment ot  the  waterfront  of  the  city,  of  which  about  600  feet 
trontage  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  municipality,  is 
being  studied  by  a  Harbor  .Advisory  Commission.  An 
ordinance  has  been  passed  restricting  the  location  of  stores 
anil  manufacturing  plants  to  specified  areas  in  the  city. 
This  has  been  sustained  by  the  Supreme  Court  ot  the  state. 
The  need  ot  city  planning  has  long  been  realized  by 
certain  groups  in  the  city.  .\  subcommittee  on  the  city 
plan  ot  the  Municipal  Development  Committee,  ot  which 
A.  .\.  Richardson  is  secretary,  has  given  publicity  to  and 
made  studies  for  city  planning  in  Niagara  Falls,  (i.  W. 
Knox,  the  Commissioner  of  Industrial  .Affairs,  Harrv 
Highland,  member  of  the  Park  Commission,  and  various 
architects,  including  Messrs.  Larke,  Obenbach,  Phelps, 
White,  and  Featherly  have  taken  an  active  interest  in 
city  planning  promotional  work. 

Norfolk 

Virginia 

Steady  progress  has  been  made  by  the  Commission  on 
Beautifying  the  city  of  Norfolk  (89,61;),  appointed  in 
October,  1908,  under  onlinance  ot  the  City  Council.  The 
work  ot  this  Commission  is  not  limiteil  to  esthetic  matters 
only,  but  extends  to  problems  of  a  more  general  city  plan- 
ning character.  The  Commission  has  improved  certain 
areas  along  the  waterfront,  particularly  the  point  called 
The  Hague.  It  has  filled  in  lowlands,  thereby  greatly 
improving  the  low-lying  districts  and  making  them  avail- 
able tor  roadways,  parks,  business  and  residential  pur- 
poses. It  has  secured  for  the  city  all  available  spaces  fitted 
tor  park  usage  and  has  enjoyed  the  cooperation  ot  owners 
in  extending  and  improving  the  city's  recreational  facili- 
ties in  general.  Nurseries  have  been  established;  work  on 
the  preparation  ot  a  city  tree  map,  index,  and  atlas  has 
gone  forward;  street  trees  have  been  assigned,  according 
to  their  adaptability,  to  different  streets  in  the  city,  and, 
in  general,  a  thorough  and  scientific  campaign  ot  street 
tree  improvement  has  been  carried  on.  This  latter  field 
is  perhaps  that  in  which  the  Commission  has  accom]ilished 
the  greatest  amount  ot  good. 

Subdivisions. — In  none  ot  the  fields  noted  has  the  Com- 
mission completed  its  work.  Much  remains  to  be  done. 
In  particular,  the  Commission  is  confronted  with  the  task 
of  preparing  a  map  of  the  territory  ailjacent  to  the  Norfolk 
bouniiary  lines  and  covering  all  territory  likel)'  to  be  platted 
within  the  next  twenty-five  years,  and  ultimately  to  be- 
come a  part  ot  the  city,  and  securing  such  uniformity  in 
the  future  platting  and  provision  tor  open  spaces  and  park- 
ways as  will  conform  to  a  general  plan  tor  the  city,  and 
its  tributary  areas.  Obviously,  the  Commission  is  not 
engaged  merely  in  city  beautification  but  has  before  it  a 
program  that  embodies  some  of  the  most  important  phases 
of  city  planning.  The  Commission  has  issued  three  reports 
to  date. 


128 


CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Unofficial  IVork. — In  all  of  this  work  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  the  Civic  Improvement  Committee,  and,  par- 
ticularly, architects,  have  shown  a  great  interest.  Rossel 
Edward  Mitchell  published,  in  191 2,  a  comprehensive 
scheme  for  a  civic  center  for  Norfolk.  A  new  and  modern 
building  ordinance,  on  which  the  architects,  particularly 
Rossel  Edward  Mitchell  and  K.  J.  Peebles,  were  especially 
active,  has  been  framed  by  the  Committee  and  has  been 
adopted  by  the  city. 

Results. — There  is  a  Playground  Committee,  using 
schoolgrounds  and  vacant  lots  largely,  and  a  Park  Depart- 
ment which  has  a  very  small  area  under  its  charge,  con- 
sidering the  size  of  the  city.  An  extensive  boulevard  sys- 
tem, is  now  in  course  of  construction.  It  is  over  50  miles 
in  length  ami  will  cost  $500,000  which  will  be  paid 
jointly  by  the  city  and  two  counties.  Grade  crossing  elim- 
ination is  proceeding  gradually,  and  terminal  improve- 
ments are  being  pushed.  Transit  developments  are  now 
being  studied  by  the  City  Couucil,  and  final  plans  are 
being  evolved.  Tremendous  improvements,  aggregating 
117,000,000,  are  under  way  tor  commercial  waterfront 
developments  by  private  companies  and  by  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States.  The  city  committees  ot  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  are  at  work  on  a  program  for  street 
improvement.  A  bill  which  will  give  to  the  city  full  con- 
trol over  the  platting  of  land  in  private  ownership  and 
authority  to  restrict  private  property  to  specified  uses  is 
now  before  the  state  legislature. 

N  orris  town 

Pennsylvania 

The  unimportance  of  legal  boundaries  in  the  discussion 
of  the  welfare  ot  communities  is  well  illustrated  by  the 
case  of  Norris town  (31,401).  The  city  is  one  of  the  satellites 
of  Philadelphia,  being  within  what  is  termed  by  the  United 
States  Census  Bureau  "the  metropolitan  area"  ot  Phila- 
delphia. An  opportunity  for  the  city  to  participate  in  a 
great  program  of  urban  and  suburban  planning,  with 
Philadelphia  as  the  center,  presented  itself  when,  under 
the  terms  of  a  law  passed  several  years  ago,  a  Metropolitan 
Suburban  Planning  Commission  was  constituted.  This 
Commission  was  to  be  composed  ot  representatives  trom 
all  of  the  cities  around  Philadelphia,  including  Norristown, 
and  was  authorized  to  lay  out  interurban  highways,  parks, 
and  boulevards  and  to  plan  in  other  ways  tor  the  rapidly 
growing  needs  of  Philadelphia  and  her  suburbs.  But 
Norristown,  like  many  of  the  other  towns  and  townships 
around  Philadelphia,  did  not  receive  the  idea  ot  metro- 
politan planning,  as  provided  in  the  law,  with  anv  great 
favor.  The  chief  objection  among  cities  like  Norristown 
was  that  the  cost  ot  maintaining  a  staff  to  cooperate  with 
one  to  be  appointed  by  Philadelphia  was  prohibitive,  and 
so  the  movement  waned.  However,  the  City  Parks  Asso- 
ciation ot  Philadelphia  continues  to  bring  its  influence  to 
bear  in  a  movement  for  metropolitan  planning  in  which 
cities  and  towns  like  Norristown  would  participate  and  is 
urging  the  desirability  ot  vesting  the  authority  for  metro- 
politan planning  in  the  Comprehensive  Plans  Commission 
ot  Philadelphia,  whose  suggestions  would,  in  this  case,  be 
merely  recommendatory  and  would  depend  for  their  effec- 


tiveness upon  their  essential  validity.    Cooperation  under 
such  conditions  is  most  desirable. 

As  it  stands,  Norristown  is  without  any  plan  tor  its 
future  growth  of  any  sort  whatsoever,  lacking  a  thorough- 
fare system,  an  adequate  plan  for  transit  lines,  and  a 
scheme  for  districting  or  zoning.  There  are  no  established 
playgrounds,  and  there  have  been  no  purchases  of  ground 
for  that  purpose.  There  are  but  34  acres  ot  park,  1^2  miles 
of  boulevards,  and  a  watertront  solely  devoted  to  indus- 
trial purposes.  The  Civic  Club  and  the  Business  Men's 
Association  are  most  active  in  movements  looking  to 
comprehensive  city  planning. 

Norwich 

Connecticut 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Norwich  (29,419)  is 
lending  its  support  to  civic  improvement  and  housing 
enterprises.  A  Housing  Committee  was  organized  and 
incorporated  by  the  members  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce in  1 91 6,  and  twenty-five  modern  two-tamily  houses 
have  been  built  by  the  Committee.  There  is  also  a  City 
Beautiful  Association  which  has  accomplished  much  good 
work  in  civic  improvement  and  the  care  ot  private  prop- 
erty. The  city  of  Norwich  now  has  extensive  improve- 
ments under  way,  particularly  in  street  widening  and 
jiaving.  It  has  a  fairly  efficient  park  system  and  well- 
organized  municipal  services,  but  to  the  actual  work  ot 
comprehensive  city  planning  no  consideration  has  been 
given  up  to  this  time. 

Oakland 

California 

A  report  on  the  city  planning  problems  ot  Oakland 
(198,604)  was  prepared  by  Werner  Hegeman  in  1915. 
The  report  included  a  study  of  the  planning  needs  ot 
Berkeley,  which  borders  on  the  north.  The  studies  and 
recommendations  were  published  in  a  volume  of  156 
pages,  entitled  "Report  on  a  City  Plan  for  the  Municipali- 
ties of  Oakland  and  Berkeley."  It  was  prepared  and  pub- 
lished under  the  auspices  of  the  municipal  governments  ot 
the  two  cities,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Commercial 
Club  of  Oakland,  the  Civic  .Art  Commission  and  the  City 
Club  of  Berkeley.  Mr.  Hegeman's  report  treats  in  an  au- 
thoritative manner  all  the  most  pressing  problems  ot  the 
two  cities,  but  a  number  of  phases  of  city  planning  ot 
importance  were  more  or  less  slightly  touched  upon,  many 
cf  which  are  of  vital  importance  to  the  East  Bay  cities. 
In  the  study,  the  different  factors  that  make  up  the  city 
map  of  Oakland  and  Berkeley,  and  which  require  com- 
prehensive planning,  are  considered  in  the  following  order: 
the  city  economic,  the  city  recreational,  and  the  city 
beautiful.  Special  study  is  given  to  the  harbor.  Plans 
drawn  for  its  development  tor  commercial  and  industrial 
usage,  embodying  the  best  modern  practice  and  the  best 
features  of  previous  suggestions  made  by  the  engineers  ot 
the  United  States  Government  are  discussed  and  corre- 
lated with  the  schemes  proposed  by  the  expert.  The  rail- 
road problem  is  discussed,  with  a  view  to  showing  in  what 


CI'I'^    I'l.ANNING   PROGRKSS 


129 


way  :i  city  plan  may  best  serve  railroad  development  and, 
therefore,  industrial  and  commercial  interests.  Railroad 
highways  at  grade  are  studied  and  recommendations  made 
for  their  rearrangement.  Emphasis  is  laid  on  the  need  for 
liifFerentiating  the  grades  ot  main  lines  and  for  separatini; 
all  belt-line  tracks  from  the  main  line.  The  ideal  belt  line 
in  connection  with  the  harbor  plan  is  proposed,  and  loca- 
tion for  factory  sites  served  by  the  belt  line  noted.  A 
clearing  system  tor  all  lines  is  considered,  and  a  general 
terminal  policy  worked  out.  The  principles  of  passenger 
transportation  are  given  study,  both  with  respect  to  rail- 
road main  lines  and  to  suburban  and  urban  passenger 
routes. 

The  development  of  a  modern  street  system  with 
model  radial  thoroughfares,  including  the  widening  and 
extension  of  streets  and  special  study  of  the  traffic  neeiis 
o\  the  down-town  district  and  ot  approaches  to  important 
centers,  are  fully  discussed.  In  residential  sections,  the 
distinction  between  main  thoroughfares  and  minor  streets 
is  urged,  and  a  proper  platting  ot  new  areas,  in  a  way  that 
will  reduce  the  cost  of  development  in  workingmen's  dis- 
tricts, are  presented  from  many  points  of  view. 

Oakland  has  but  190  acres  of  parks.  There  are  numer- 
ous possibilities  tor  development  of  a  park  system,  but 
practically  nothing  of  miportance  has  been  accomplished. 
The  city  owns  only  about  one-tenth  of  the  park  area  it 
should  have  accordmg  to  good  American  standards.  In 
1866,  Frederick  Law  Olmsted,  Sr.,  made  suggestions  regard- 
ing the  park  possibilities  of  the  East  Bay  cities  which  are 
still  of  great  value  for  the  whole  region.  In  1906,  Charles 
Mulford  Robinson  made  a  splendid  survey  of  the  park  pos- 
sibilities in  Oakland,  slightly  touching  also  the  neighbor- 
ing cities,  and,  after  him,  the  landscape  architect  of  the 
Oakland  Park  Board,  Oscar  Pragar,  gave  much  thought 
to  the  matter  and  has  in  papers  and  addresses  advocated 
the  necessity  of  comprehensive  park  development.  A  few 
of  the  suggestions  of  Mr.  Robinson  have  been  carried  out. 
Others,  which  have  been  disregarded,  it  is  now  too  late  to 
bring  to  realization.  By  far  the  largest  part  of  Mr.  Robin- 
son's park  program,  however,  stands  today,  as  it  did  nine 
years  ago,  as  the  very  best  advice  that  could  be  given  under 
the  circumstances.  Today,  however,  it  would  be  much 
more  expensive  to  carry  out.  Mr.  Robinson's  recom- 
mendations   are    presented     in     a     report    entitled    "A 


Plan   ot    Civic    Improvement    lor    the    City   of  Oakland, 
California." 

Mr.  Hegeman  points  out  that  a  park  system  consist- 
ing ot  the  essential  features  ot  the  Olmsted  and  Robinson 
plans  would  still  be  tar  from  exhausting  the  marvelous 
pcissibilirifs  of  the  East  Bay  rcuion.    He  discusses  certain 


CtiuTlesv  W  .  ii.   Wtrilbye. 

Oakland. — Business  District  trom  l.^ikesijc  I'ark. 
This  fine  "many- towered  Camelot"  appearance  will  be  de- 
stroyed unless  logical  regulations  of  height  and  arrangement  of 
buildings  are  adopted.  Already  two  types  of  improvements 
appear:  the  first,  architecturally  well-developed  towers;  the 
second,  party  walls,  water-tanks,  and  a  jungle  of  steel  and   iron. 


CuUTltS 


Tbt  AmeTtcan  Cily. 

Oakland. — Model  of  Proposed  Harbor  anil 


Industrial  District. 


I  JO 


CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Oklahoma  City. — Grand  Boulevard  at  Deep  Fork  Valley,  the  Backbone  ot  the  Proposed  Outer  Park  SxMcm  .ind  >uLiw,i>   uii 
Railroad  Tracks. 


additional  reservations  that  would  complete  a  chain  ot 
pleasure  grounds  throughout  the  territory  and  urges  the 
adoption  of  a  comprehensive  program  that  will  enable  the 
Park  Board  to  use  a  much  treer  hand  tor  buying  property 
tor  park  purposes. 

He  also  recommends  that  the  playgrounds,  so  far  as 
possible,  be  worked  into  the  park  system,  that  they  be 
laid  out  within  walking  distance  of  every  home,  and  as  a 
part  of  the  East  Bay  City  scheme  for  industrial  efficiency. 

Unfortunately,  the  architectural  phases  of  city  plan- 
ning in  Oakland  and  Berkeley  were  not  comprehensively 
studied  by  architects,  nor  were  funds  available  to  obtain 
perspective  drawings  that  might  give  some  idea  of  how 
the  proposals  suggested  would  appear  it  carried  out. 

Mr.  Hegeman  urges  that  a  city  planning  commission 
be  appointed  at  once  in  each  of  the  East  Bay  Cities,  and 
that  they  confer  as  frequently  as  possible  on  all  plans  for 
improvement. 

The  City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Oakland  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  and  Commercial  Club,  W.  H.  Weilbye, 
chairman,  H.  A.  LafFler,  secretary,  and  C.  H.  Cheney, 
executive  secretary;  the  City  Club  ot  Berkeley;  the 
Civic  Art  Commission  ot  Berkeley,  C.  H.  Cheney  secretary 
and  consultant,  were  all  very  active  in  planning  and  work- 
ing for  the  preparation  of  the  plan  by  iVlr.  Hegeman. 

Ogden 

Utah 

The  Association  of  Architects  of  Utah  have  repeatedly 
made  efforts  to  secure  legislation  that  would  enable  them 
to  put  city  planning  on  a  firm  footing  in  the  state.  Eben 
F.  Piers,  architect,  of  Ogden  (31,404),  has  been  much  in- 
terested in  this  movement  and  has  urged  the  preparation 
of  a  city  plan  for  Ogden,  the  second  city  in  population  in 
the  state.  Up  to  this  time  there  has  never  been  a  citv  plan- 
ning committee  or  commission  in  the  city  or  any  ordinance 
looking   to   city   improvement   work.     John   L.   Scudder, 


landscape  architect,  is  actively  interested  in  city  planning 
and  civic  improvement  locally.  The  Women's  Club,  and 
particularly  the  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  has  made 
an  effort  to  secure  playgrounds  on  public  property.  The 
Park  Commissioners  have  accomplished  quite  a  little  in 
developing  a  system  of  parks  and  boulevards,  although 
the  total  area  of  parks — 55  acres — is  small  for  a  city  of  its 
size.  The  railroad  companies  have  been  especially  active 
in  unifying  freight  terminals  and  in  enlarging  their  yards, 
which  are  said  to  be  the  largest  west  of  Omaha.  Transit 
development  has  received  consideration.  The  grouping  ot 
city  and  county  buildings  is  being  actively  agitated. 

Oklahoma  City 

Oklahoma 

A  plan  for  a  great  outer  parkway  and  outlying  reserva- 
tion was  presented  by  W.  H.  Dunn,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo., 
to  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners  ot  Oklahoma  City 
(90,943),  in  1910.  The  study  for  the  outer  parkway  and 
parks  was  made  after  the  Board  had  obtained  options 
upon  certain  lands  and  before  work  had  been  begun  in  an 
interior  system  ot  parks  and  boulevards.  Mr.  Dunn  points 
out  that  the  acquisition  of  these  areas  in  the  beginning  of 
park  work  reverses  the  usual  plan  of  acquiring  park 
properties.  The  ideal  way  would  be  to  adopt  a  plan  cover- 
ing the  whole  city,  and  to  extend  it  so  as  to  include  the 
greater  park  system. 

The  Outer  Park  System. — The  plan  involved  a  con- 
nected parkway  completely  surrounding  the  city,  rect- 
angular in  shape,  and  approximately  6  miles  square. 
Connecting  with  this  parkway  three  parks  were  proposed, 
one  of  720  acres,  another  of  620  acres,  and  the  third  of  160 
acres.  Mr.  Dunn  points  out  that  at  least  one  large  park 
is  desirable,  but  the  maintenance  and  improvement  of 
more  than  one  park  would  eventually  become  burden- 
.some  and  would  not  afford  the  same  service  as  would  the 
same  number  of  acres  more  generally  distributed.     Mr. 


crrv  PLANNING  pr()c;rkss 


131 


Dunn  advised  the  sale  of  considerable  portions  of  the  large 
reservations,  retaining  the  picturesque  valleys  and  such 
uplands  as  would  be  selected  in  a  more  thorough  stuiiv  by 
the  landscape  architect. 

Griitid  Boulevard. — The  route  tor  the  connecting  boule- 
vard, or  grand  boulevard,  is  approximately  26  miles  in 
length  and  affords  a  splendid  view  ot  the  city  for  almost 
the  entire  length.  .A  teature  o\  this  plan  is  that  all  lines  of 
railroads  entering  the  city  will,  for  a  distance,  pass  through 
or  by  some  portion  of  the  park  system,  thus  giving  the 
traveling  public  a  favorable  first  impression  of  the  citv. 

Neighborhood  Parks  Recommended. — The  general  topog- 
raphy ot  Oklahoma  City,  now  being  subdivided  for  resi- 
dence districts,  shows  many  deep  ravines,  sharp  bends, 
and  low  wooded  places  where  shrubs  and  plants  thrive 
best.  Mr.  Dunn  recommends  that  the  Park  Board  take 
certain  ot  those  areas  tor  the  establishment  and  building  of 
little  neighborhood  parks  with  natural  surroundings. 

Traffic  Arteries  vs.  Pleasure  Drives. — In  comparison 
with  other  cities,  Oklahoma  City  has  grown  so  rapidlv, 
its  streets  have  been  extended  radially  such  distances  into 
the  suburbs,  that  the  immediate  value  of  the  boulevard 
system  is  not  easdy  comprehended.  Many  ot  the  streets 
have  such  attractive  grades  that  they  will  doubtless 
become,  in  time,  important  traffic  thoroughtares.  The 
aim  should  be  to  select  such  streets  as  are  not  so  attrac- 
tive to  business  vehicles  tor  boulevards  and  to  develop 
these  accordingly.  Other  boulevards  should  be  located 
now,  on  areas  not  yet  subdivided.  Such  a  plan  of  boule- 
vards would  enable  the  people  to  reach  the  main  park  sys- 
tem trom  the  city's  center  as  conveniently  and  along  as 
attractive  routes  as  possible. 

Central  Areas  for  Recreation. — In  providing  a  great 
outer  park  system  only,  a  city  fails  to  serve  those  who 
have  neither  the  leisure  nor  the  means  of  reaching  such  a 
system,  and  so  Mr.  Dunn  urges  the  setting  aside  of  a  large 
area  near  the  heart  of  the  city  tor  park  purposes.  Numer- 
ous other  improvements  are  proposed,  including  a  river- 
side park. 

Areas  Involved. — Under  the  proposed  plan,  the  outer 
parkway  boulevard,  with  three  roadways,  will  contain  66j 
acres  and  will  be  27  miles  in  length.  The  outer  parks  con- 
necting with  this  boulevard  would  contain  over  1,000 
acres.  The  mterior  connecting  system  would  include  190 
acres  of  park  land  and  42  miles  of  boulevard.  At  the  time 
Mr.  Dunn  made  his  plan,  the  city  owned  about  90  acres 
of  parks. 

Omaha 

Nebraska 

.A  City  Planning  Commission  was  appouited  in  Omaha 
( 165,470)  the  latter  part  of  1915,  under  an  act  of  the  legis- 
lature granting  additional  powers  to  cities  ot  the  metro- 
politan class.  The  Commission  began  active  work  in 
May,  1916,  with  the  employment  of  a  permanent  secretary 
and  the  retention  of  E.  P.  Goodrich  and  George  B.  Ford, 
of  New  York,  and  Charles  Multord  Robinson,  ot  Roches- 
ter, as  consulting  experts. 

Grade  Crossings. — The  first  problem  which  called  tor 
immediate  attention  was  the  elimination  of  grade  cross- 


ings on  the  belt-line  railroad.  .A  comprehensive  study  of 
the  situation  resulteii  in  recommendations  to  the  City 
Council  by  the  Planning  Commission  tor  the  elevation  of 
the  tracks.  The  Commission's  plan  has  been  accepteil  by 
the  railroads. 

Immediate  Problems. — \  local  problem  ot  importance 
to  which  the  experts  have  given  some  attention  is  the 
widening  of  Twenty-fourth  or  Twenty-second  Street,  for 
which  a  number  of  alternative  plans  and  estimates  cover- 
ing the  various  possible  solutions  of  the  problem  have  been 
prepared  and  are  now  before  the  public  tor  their  criti- 
cism. The  reduction  of  the  Dodge  Street  grade  is  another 
problem  to  which  attention  is  being  given. 

Various  corrections  in  street  intersection  arrangements 
have  been  devised,  anti  .some  ot  these  have  already  been 
executed  by  the  city's  engineering  department,  notably 
on  Howard  Street.  Other  detailed  plans  tor  the  extension 
of  important  thoroughfares  have  been  under  consideration 
tor  several  months.  Walter  J.  Jardine,  Superintendent  of 
Public  Improvements,  and  John  \.  Bruce,  City  Engineer, 


(.)maii.'V. — Map  Showing  hxisting  Paving,  Prepared  by  the 
Planning  Commission.  .Asphalt  and  Concrete,  Hatched;  Brick, 
Black;  Stone  Block,  Black  Dots. 

Of  particular  value  for  study  ot  traffic  and  thoroughfares. 


132 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


have  taken  an  active  interest  and  officially  aided  in   this 
work. 

Legislation. — The  City  Planning  Commission  and  its 
experts  have  worked  with  the  City  Attorney  in  the  fram- 


_J;'--'T..i-.tw<-':;;v-: 


•^'.':^■■<n'.'^.  \ 


^   ":     ■■..I,.'. ^T=^V+' -Ml  til — 


Omaha. — Map  Showing  Population  Density,  Prepared  by  the 
Planning  Commission.    Each  Dot  Represents  50  People. 

Such  a  map  is  of  special  value  in  studying  the  proper  distri- 
bution of  transit  facilities  and  of  many  other  types  of  public 
utilities. 


ing  of  legislation  to  facilitate  the  work  of  the  City  Plan- 
ning Commission,  a  part  of  which  was  presented  at  the 
last  session  of  the  legislature.  This  work  is  still  in  progress, 
and  a  campaign  of  public  education  to  secure  sufficient 
backing  to  insure  the  early  passage  of  the  bills  is  now  going 
on. 

Planning  Exhibition. — In  December,  iyi6,  the  City 
Planning  Commission  held  in  the  courthouse  a  most 
attractive  city  planning  exhibition  consisting  ot  three 
parts: 

I.  A  big  exhibition  of  general  city  planning  prepared 
by  the  American  City  Bureau,  of  New  York,  arranged  so 
as  to  cover  the  important  subdivisions  ot  the  subject  ot 
city  planning,  with  John  A.  Lathrop,  representative  ot  the 
American  City  Bureau,  as  lecturer. 

1.  The  exhibition  of  the  Committee  on  Town  Planning 
of  the  American  Institute  of  Architects,  arranged  to  show 
what  has  been  accomplished  or  is  projected  in  the  way  ot 
city  planning  in  cities  throughout  America  and  Europe. 
3.  An  exhibition  of  the  graphic  portions  ot  the  work 
done  by  the  Planning  Commission  under  the  guidance  of 
its  experts. 

The  "Sursew" — The  notable  accomplishment  of  the 
City  Planning  Commission,  and  the  one  to  which  the 
experts  and  staff  have  devoted  the  major  part  of  their 
time,  is  the  preparation  of  data  maps  for  the  whole  ot 
Greater  Omaha.  These  maps  cover  such  matters  as  the 
distribution  of  residence,  working,  and  school  population; 
the  use  of  property  and  property  values;  the  height  and 
area  of  buildings;  the  distribution  of  rear  dwellings  and 
unsanitary  houses;  the  characteristics  of  street  gradients; 
location  of  streets  requiring  extension  or  widening;  the 
width  of  streets  and  roadways;  the  extent  and  character  of 
setbacks;  routes  of  transit  lines  and  the  preparation  ot 
time  zones  for  such  routes;  principal  existing  routes  for 
automobiles  and  trucking  vehicles;  the  location  of  auto- 
mobile parking  space;  the  distribution  of  facilities  for 
supplying  food;  the  characteristics  and  extent  ot  the  sani- 
tary system;  the  location  of  grade  crossings;  the  distribu- 
tion of  public  buildings;  characteristics  of  street  lighting; 
and,  finally,  the  extent  and  character  of  parks,  playgrounds, 
schools,  and  boulevards.  The  collection  ot  this  necessary 
data  and  its  delineation  in  the  simplest  terms  on  graphic 
charts  is  now  almost  completed.  Its  value  has  been 
demonstrated  wherever  city  planning  has  been  undertaken, 
and  it  must  be  secured  at  the  start  if  city  planning  is  to 
be  carried  on  in  a  workmanlike  manner. 

The  Problem. — The  Omaha  City  Planning  Commission 
is  now  at  a  point  where  it  is  undertaking  constructive  work 
in  a  comprehensive  way.  Omaha  is  no  longer  a  village. 
It  is  rapidly  becoming  one  of  the  great  metropolitan  cities 
of  the  country.  Statistics  show  that  within  thirty  years 
it  will  have  a  population  of  at  least  500,000.  The  city 
must  be  prepared  to  meet  this  growth  with  an  adequate 
system  of  thoroughfares  and  transit  lines,  with  generous 
railroad  and  waterfront  facilities,  with  adequate  and  well- 
distributed  spaces  for  recreation,  and  with  reasonable  con- 
trol over  private  property  in  the  interest  ot  the  com.munity 
as  a  whole.  The  city  departments  are  doing  excellent  work, 
each  in  its  respective  line,  but  the  problems  are  multi- 
plying rapidly  and  becoming  constantly  more  complex  and 
interdependent.    It  is  becoming  daily  more  obvious  that 


CnV    PLANNING    PKUCiRESS 


133 


Omaha. — Map  Showing  Cimtdur.s  and  Gradients,  Prepared 
by  City  Planning  Commission.  Grades  from  5  Per  Cent  to  10 
Per  Cent  Shown  in  Broken  Lines;  Grades  of  10  Per  Cent  and 
More  in  Bhick. 

Necessary  (or  proper  study  ot  traffic  thoroughfares. 

there  is  a  great  field  tor  usefulness  for  the  City  Planning 
Commission,  in  serving  as  a  clearing-house  for  proposals 
and  ideas  affecting  the  plan  ot  the  city  and  in  weaving 
such  as  have  merit  into  a  great  comprehensive  plan.  Such 
a  plan  is  the  great  need  of  Omaha  today.  The  city  can  no 
longer  afford  to  fritter  away  its  energy  on  petty  details. 
The  Planning  Commission  is  making  a  start  in  working 
out  a  broad,  far-seemg,  practical  plan  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  city,  in  which  use  will  be  made  ot  the  data 
maps  now  in  hand. 

Zoning. — In  preparing  a  comprehensive  plan,  the  Com- 
mission is  making  a  start  in  a  direction  in  which  there  is 
urgent  need  tor  action  right  away,  viz.,  in  the  drafting  ot 


a  scheme  for  districting  and  7oning,  with  different  restric- 
tions as  to  height  of  buildings,  size  of  yards  and  courts,  and 
the  character  of  usage  in  different  parts  of  the  city.  The 
Commission  is  doing  this,  not  onlv  l)ecause  of  its  evident 
value  in  preserving  ami  stabilizing  real  estate  values,  but 
because  it  is  one  of  the  things  which  the  people  of  Omaha 
are  demanding  and  will,  therefore,  serve  as  a  lever  with 
which  to  raise  up  the  necessary  demand  for  comprehen- 
sive planning  along  all  lines  of  municipal  activity. 

George  T.  Morton  is  chairman  of  the  City  Planning 
Commission,  and  B.  Kvenild  is  secretary. 


Paris 

Texas 

I'ollowing  the  almost  complete  destruction  of  Paris 
(12,469)  by  fire  in  1916,  the  officials  of  the  city  have  been 
actively  engaged  in  remodeling  the  old  plans  and  laying 
out  parks,  roads,  and  fire  districts  in  such  a  way  as  to 
greatly  increase  the  city's  attractiveness.  \V.  H.  Dunn,  of 
Kansas  City,  has  been  retaineii  to  assist  the  citv  adminis- 
tration in  the  work  of  replanning  and  rebuilding. 

The  Plan  Bring  Camfii  Out. — .\  general  plan  of  Paris 
was  prepared  by  Mr.  Dunn  for  the  City  Council  in  1915, 
a  short  time  before  the  catastrophe  overtook  the  city. 
This  plan  gave  consideration  to  the  development  of  a 
new  public  square  and  the  improvement  of  the  existing 
city  plaza  or  .square;  it  recommended  a  uniform  width  of 
80  to  90  feet  for  the  principal  thoroughfares,  and  it  pro- 
vided for  the  opening  and  widening  of  streets  in  the  central 
district;  it  proposed  a  plan  for  a  civic  center;  a  scheme  for 
a  diagonal  parkway,  and  provision  for  interior  parks  and 
outer  boulevards  and  parks.  .Since  the  fire,  Mavor  Mc- 
Cuiston,  who  is  now  serving  his  tenth  year  as  Mayor,  has 
succeeded  in  arousing  the  people  to  the  importance  of  the 
Dunn  plan.  The  first  step  has  been  taken  in  the  improve- 
ment of  the  public  square  and  the  widening  of  streets  in 
the  business  center  in  accordance  therewith.  Main  thor- 
oughfares will  be  made  So  feet  instead  of  60  feet,  as  before, 
and  all  other  streets  will  have  a  minimum  width  of  50  feet, 
as  compared  with  the  old  width  of  40  feet.  .About  4  miles 
of  new  streets  will  be  opened  up,  the  square  will  be  parked, 
and  a  new  market  square  has  been  purchased  by  the  city. 
Two  plans  are  under  consideration  for  a  new  civic  center. 
Building  lines  are  being  set  for  all  types  of  buildings,  and 
the   State    Fire    Insurance    Commission    Code    has    been 


Paris  — General    \  lew   ot    Parkway,   l.ookuig    Toward    City 
Hall.    Part  of  a  Comprehensive  Plan  for  the  City. 


134 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


adopted.     Every   building   within   the   fire   limits  will   be 
required  to  be  virtually  fireproof. 

Jdopling  the  Plan. — The  city  of  Paris  has  voted  on 
charter  amendments  that  would  permit  the  adoption  ot 
the  Dunn  plan  as  a  whole  as  the  official  guide,  but  both 
have  been  defeated.  They  were  lost  by  only  133  votes. 
With  the  support  of  the  Mayor,  it  is  believed  that  the 
plan  will  eventually  he  adopted  in  its  entirety. 


a  campaign  in  which  the  support  of  all  the  other  organiza- 
tions in  the  city  will  be  enlisted. 

Housing  Committee. — The  outstanding  civic  accom- 
plishment by  private  organizations  in  Passaic  is  that  in- 
augurated and  carried  through  by  the  Housing  Committee 
of  the  Board  of  Trade,  organized  in  1913.  This  Committee 
has  been  very  active  since  its  organization,  and  in  191 5 
was  successful  in  bringing  the  State  Housing  Conference 


Pasadena 

California 

Although  one  of  the  smaller  California  cities,  Pasa- 
dena (46,450)  has  developed  a  surprising  amount  of  en- 
thusiasm for  city  planning.  The  City  Planning  Com- 
mittee, of  which  George  A.  Damon  of  the  Throop  College 
of  Technology  is  technical  director,  was  organized  in 
January,  1915,  and  received  a  small  appropriation  from 
the  City  Commission.  In  1916,  one-half  of  the  expenses  of 
the  Committee  were  borne  by  the  city.  The  Committee 
meets  frequently  with  the  city  officials  and  enjoys  most 
cordial  relations  with  them.  The  work  of  the  Committee 
was  well  described  in  the  American  City  magazine  for 
October,  1916.  No  reports  have  been  issued,  but  a  per- 
manent exhibition  has  been  prepared  which  has  attracted 
a  larger  number  of  people  and  which,  it  is  believed,  has 
been  the  means  of  educating  the  public  tar  better  than 
printed  reports  could  have  done.  Each  architect  in  the 
city  has  an  exhibit  of  his  latest  work  in  the  permanent 
exhibition.  While  no  comprehensive  plan  has  been  evolved, 
a  number  of  civic  improvements  have  been  carried  through, 
or  are  now  being  promulgated,  which  have  a  decided 
bearing  on  the  rational  development  of  the  city  plan. 

Problems  Being  Studied. — A  comprehensive  park  system 
and  a  financial  scheme  for  carrying  it  out  are  now  being 
studied.  Street  tree  planting  has  been  successfully  carried 
out;  plans  for  the  elimination  ot  every  grade  crossing  have 
been  submitted  to  the  State  Railroad  Commission;  a 
campaign  for  a  union  terminal  tor  freight  and  passenger 
service  is  being  waged;  a  program  for  street  widening  and 
extension  is  being  gradually  developed;  and  plans  tor  civic 
and  neighborhood  centers  are  now  in  a  tentative  stage. 
No  attempt  has  been  made  up  to  this  time  to  draft  a  com- 
prehensive plan. 

Passaic 

New  Jersey 

The  Board  of  Trade  of  Passaic  (71,755),  the  most  in- 
fluential organization  in  the  city  with  civic  interests,  has 
given  strong  support  to  a  movement  for  the  appointment 
of  a  city  planning  commission  within  the  past  three  years, 
largely  as  a  result  of  the  activities  of  Charles  F.  H.  John- 
son, president  of  the  Board,  and  a  real  estate  man.  Al- 
though a  state  law  ot  permissive  character  provides  for 
the  appointment  of  a  city  plannmg  commission,  nothing 
has  been  done  to  take  advantage  ot  the  act.  Two  years 
ago,  the  Mayor  was  on  the  point  of  appointing  a  com- 
mission, but  the  whole  matter  tell  through.  It  is  probable 
that  the  Board  of  Trade  will  soon  appoint  a  special  com- 
mittee to  work  out  a  program  of  procedure  and  to  conduct 


Passaic. — .'\llwood  Garden  Village.  Two  Family  House. 

The  village  plan  and  general  development  will  conform  to  the 
best  modern  practice  of  town  planning,  as  exemplified  in  Europe 
and  .America. 

to  Passaic.  Its  chief  initial  accomplishment  was  a  revision 
of  the  building  code  and  the  addition  of  regulations  cover- 
ing housing  conditions.  The  Committee  has  done  an  ex- 
cellent piece  of  work  in  this  connection,  but  it  has  met  with 
some  difficulty  in  making  its  code  legally  effective.  The 
new  code  must,  according  to  law,  be  advertised  in  a  cer- 
tain way  in  certain  newspapers,  and  the  city  does  not  feel 
that  it  can  afford  to  undertake  this  work.  The  question 
now  before  the  Housing  Committee  is  how  to  comply 
with  these  conditions.  Samuel  Ginsburg,  architect,  has 
served  on  the  Housing  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Trade. 
Industrial  Housing. — One  of  the  direct  results  of  the 
agitation  for  better  housing  in  Passaic  is  the  new  enter- 
prise of  the  Brighton  Mills  Company,  well-known  manu- 
facturers ot  silk.  This  company  has  just  started  the 
development  of  a  remarkable  industrial  village.  The  entire 
scheme  includes  a  large  mill,  homes  tor  superintendents 
and  workingmen,  schools,  churches,  a  recreation  center,  a 
hospital,  and  other  structures.  In  the  course  of  the  past 
two  years  320  acres  of  land  have  been  purchased  for  the 
development,  following  extended  negotiations  with  a 
large  number  ot  land-owners  whose  properties  lay  within 
the  site  selected.  John  Nolen,  landscape  architect,  ot 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  is  in  full  charge  of  the  landscape  fea- 
tures; Murphv  &  Dana,  architects,  of  New  York,  have 
prepared  plans  tor  the  houses;  Morris  Knowles,  consulting 
engineer,  of  Pittsburgh,  has  charge  of  the  sanitary  features 
of  the  scheme;  and  John  Ihlder,  formerly  field  secretary  of 
the  National  Housing  Association,  and  now  secretary  of 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRKSS 


135 


the  Philadelphia  Housing  Association,  will  assist  in  direct- 
ing the  comnuinity  features.  The  plan  now  being  carried 
out  is  due  largely  to  the  vision  ot' William  I,,  l.yall,  presi- 
dent ot"  the  company.  At  Mr.  Lyall's  suggestion,  an  officer 
of  the  company  visited  Bourneville,  Port  Sunlight,  Hamp- 
stead,  and  other  model  English  garden  villages,  two  vears 
ago,  and  the  important  features  of  these  well-known  enter- 
prises were  closely  studied,  in  order  to  formulate  a  pro- 
gram tor  carrying  through  the  project  now  under  wav  at 
.AHwood. 

Parks. — In  1911  the  Board  of  Trade,  by  public  sub- 
scription, inaugurated  a  movement  tor  public  plaverounds, 
rented  spaces,  equipped  them,  and  later,  by  tanning  public 
opinion,  made  it  possible  for  the  Citv  Commissioners  to 
take  over  the  care  and  upkeep  ot  the  plavgrounds.  .\ 
Playground  Commission  was  then  appointed,  which  has 
been  caring  for  the  property  since  that  time.  Park  land 
owned  by  the  city  was  acquired  as  a  result  of  agitation 
begun  by  the  Board  of  Trade.  Little  was  done  to  utilize 
or  improve  this  land  until  John  R.  Johnson  was  appointed 
Superintendent  ot  Parks  in  1914,  since  which  time  develop- 
ment has  been  moving  rapidly.  Excellent  work  is  being 
done  by  the  Street  Department  under  the  supervision  ot 
Commissioner  William  A.  Reid  and  Colin  R.  Wise,  City 
Engineer. 


tary,  John  J.  l-'itzgeraid,  has  urged  the  adoption  of  meas- 
ures that  woukl  leaii  to  constructive  action  iiy  the  city, 
through  the  appointment  ot  a  city  planning  commission. 

The  Charitv  Organization  Societv  recentiv  had  a  hous- 
ing survey  made,  more  or  less  superficial  in  character.  .'\ 
really  intelligent  appreciation  of  housing  problems  among 
the  people  is  being  brought  about  by  W'.  1,.  Kineaid,  the 
father  ot  the  New  Jersey  Housing  Association,  who  is  a 
resident  of  Paterson. 

There  is  a  Recreation  Commission  which  is  making  an 
attempt  to  use  schoolgrounds  for  play  purposes.  .A  Park 
Commission  has  jurisdiction  over  three  parks  of  consider- 
able size  and  a  nundier  of  small  parks.  Other  matters, 
such  as  a  better  arrangement  of  railroad  tracks  and  ter- 
minals, the  tlevelopment  ot  the  waterfront  tor  commercial 
[>urposes  (linking  it  up  by  way  of  the  Passaic  River  with 
New  York  Harbor),  anil  the  promotion  of  community 
centers,  are  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Pavvtucket 

Rhode  Island 

.\  tew  miles  north  ot  ProNuience,  and  the  chief  cit\'  in 
the   metropolitan   district   ot    the   latter   cit\,    Pawtucket 


Peoria. — The  Pool  in  the  Proctcir  I-(ccrcation  Center.    .A  Fine  Kx.imple  nt'  Minlern  I'rovision  for  Leisure  'llnic  Pursuits. 

(59,411)  shares  in  the  good  work  being  carried  on  by  the 
Metropolitan  Park  Commission  which  has  its  headquarters 
in  Providence.  The  latter  Commission,  which  was  organ- 
ized under  the  state  law  in  1904,  in  laying  out  a  compre- 
hensive system  of  parkways,  boulevards,  and  large  reser- 
vations in  and  about  Providence  and  the  neighboring 
cities,  is  bringing  to  Pawtucket  many  ot  the  advantages 


Paterson 

New  Jersey 

For  the  past  three  years  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  ot 
Paterson  (138,433)  has  displayed  more  than  ordinary  in- 
terest in  problems  pertaining  to  city  planning.    Its  secre- 


136 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


which  comprehensive  planning  procures.  From  the  stand- 
point ot  local  interest  in  city  planning,  however,  there  is 
at  the  present  time  no  real  force  actually  at  work.  The 
Business  Men's  ."Association  has  a  Civic  Center  Committee, 
appointed  about  tour  years  ago,  in  which  A.  J.  Thornlev 
has  been  particularly  active.  A  plan  was  formulated  for 
a  civic  center  and  a  sketch  prepared,  but  nothing  has  yet 
resulted  from  this  movement.  The  city  has  one  large 
park,  called  Slater  Park,  and  three  or  four  small  green 
spaces.  A  large  park  for  recreation  purposes  was  recently 
donated  to  the  city,  but  the  latter  has  taken  no  steps  to 
make  it  of  service.  Grade  crossings  have  recently  been 
eliminated,  and  a  new  union  station  for  Pawtucket  and 
Central  Falls  has  recently  been  constructed. 

Peoria 

Illinois 

The  site  of  Peoria  (71,458)  was  laid  out  about  a  hundred 
years  ago  as  a  quarter-section  on  plans  supposed  to  have 
been  suggested  by  Alexander  Hamilton  and  providing  for 
a  riverfront  or  levee  park,  thoroughfares  100  feet  wide,  and 
a  public  square  around  which  civic  buildings  might  be 
grouped.  Unfortunately,  later  planning  was  not  in  har- 
mony with  the  earlier  scheme.  In  recent  years,  steady 
progress  has  been  made  in  the  provision  of  community 
features,  such  as  parks  and  boulevards,  and  a  growing 
sentiment  in  favor  of  comprehensive  city  planning  that 
will  give  consideration  in  a  big  way  to  all  of  the  needs  of 
the  community  is  in  evidence.  The  existing  parks  have 
an  area  of  over  400  acres.  There  is  a  splendid  boulevard 
overlooking  the  Illinois  River.  The  people  of  Peoria  are 
justly  proud  of  what  has  been  accomplished  up  to  this 
time,  but  there  is  a  vast  amount  of  city  planning  to  be 
done.  In  particular,  a  real  park  system  needs  to  be  created 
by  linking  up  the  existing  parks  with  boulevards  and  by 
reclaiming  the  waterfront.  The  present  unsightly  railroad 
entrance  to  the  city  must  be  converted  into  an  attractive 
city  gate  with  a  plaza  and  fine  street  approaches.  The 
thoroughfares  in  business  districts  must  be  widened; 
radial  arteries  leading  to  the  surrounding  towns  and 
country  must  be  laid  out  and  existing  ones  improved;  more 
ample  playgrounds  and  recreation  facilities  must  be  de- 
veloped along  the  line  of  the  splendid  Proctor  Recreation 
Center. 

The  Forming,  of  a  Commission. — Peoria  needs  a  com- 
prehensive plan,  and  the  citizens  are  strongly  in  favor  of 
official  action  along  this  line.  The  City  Planning  Com- 
mittee of  the  Association  of  Commerce,  of  which  Mr.  Frank 
N.  F^merson,  architect,  is  chairman,  and  George  ^ltch, 
well-known  author,  is  vice-chairman,  is  the  most  active 
supporter  of  the  movement  to  secure  a  comprehensive 
plan.  This  Committee  has  already  placed  the  problems 
of  city  planning  before  the  people  in  the  form  of  tentative 
sketches  and  by  means  of  articles  in  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines. It  has  reached  the  point  in  its  agitation  for  com- 
prehensive planning  where  the  City  Council  is  giving 
serious  consideration  to  the  problem  of  financing  the 
enterprise.  Charles  Mulford  Robinson  has  visited  the 
city  and  conferred  with  the  City  Council  and  the  City 
Planning  Committee,  and  an  ordinance  has  recently  been 


introduced,    providing    for    the    appointment   of   such    a 
commission. 

Perth  Amboy 

New  Jersey 

About  25  miles  from  the  tip  (jf  Manhattan  Island,  by 
the  water  route,  is  Perth  Amboy  (41,185)1  one  of  the  in- 
dustrial satellites  of  New  York.  Movements  for  civic 
betterment  have  never  been  conspicuous  there,  but  the 
Board  of  Trade  has  agitated  for  a  subdivision  for  working- 
men's  homes.  There  is  a  park  system  of  fair  proportions 
now  in  course  of  development,  including  three  waterfront 
parks,  and  a  fair  playground  system  now  in  operation. 
Perth  Amboy's  chief  asset  is  her  6  miles  of  navigable 
waterfront,  a  portion  of  which  the  city  owns  and  which  it 
is  holding  for  the  development  of  terminals.  It  may  be 
that  in  time  the  city  will  do  as  Bayonne  is  doing  and 
provide  for  extensive  facilities  for  transfer  between  water 
and  rail  and  for  sites  for  industrial  plants  near  these  carriers. 


Philadelphia. — Open  .Space  .it  Intersection  ot  Thirty-fourth 
Street  and  Snyder  .'\veniie.  Part  of  the  Comprehensive  Plan  for 
South  Philadelphia. 


Philadelphia 

Pennsylvania 

For  over  two  centuries  the  checkerboard  plan  of  Phila- 
delphia, drafted  and  laid  down  by  William  Penn  in  1682, 
was  the  accepted  basis  for  the  extension  ot  the  city.  The 
Penn  plan  provided  for  50-foot  streets  at  right  angles, 
bounding  blocks  4C0  feet  square,  and,  what  is  of  special 
interest,  a  comparatively  large  number  of  small  squares 
reserved  for  park  purposes.  In  subsequent  additions  and 
extensions,  however,  there  was  this  important  difference, 
that  the  open  spaces  or  squares  for  public  use  were  entirely 
omitted.  In  the  early  eighties,  however,  an  awakened  civic 
consciousness  began  to  manifest  itself.  In  1888  the  City 
Parks  Association  was  formed  to  direct  the  attention  of 


CITY    PLANNING    PK(H;RKSS 


137 


Philadelphia. — New  Pennypack  Creek  Park  Bridge  in  Lincoln  Highway. 
I'ennypack  Creek  Park,  (>  miles  long,  covering  1,148  acres,  is  one  of'the  larger  parks,  among  the  hiindreci-ixUI  acqiiireii  since  the  City 
Parks -Association  began  its  work  twent\'-seven  \'ears  ago. 


the  people  to  the  problem  ot  providing  more  open  spaces 
in  congested  sections.  At  that  time  there  were  twelve 
parks  with  an  area  of  3,000  acres.  For  twenty-seven  years 
the  Association,  of  which  Andrew  Wright  Crawford  is 
secretary,  has  conducted  a  campaign  tor  more  comprehen- 
sive provision  of  open  spaces  and  tor  better  city  planning. 
The  area  of  the  parks  has  been  increased  and,  in  addition, 
upwanl  of  one  hundred  new  parks  have  been  acquired, 
including  city  squares,  generally  ot  about  4  acres  in  extent, 
and  important  large  parks.  In  September,  1915,  the  citv 
had  a  total  of  6,005  acres  of  parks  and  77  acres  of  play- 
grounds. The  general  scheme  of  park  extension  involves 
two  main  circuits:  an  inner  one,  about  23  miles  in  length, 
more  than  halt  of  which  has  been  opened;  and  an  outer 
one,  about  ^J  miles  in  length,  a  considerable  part  of  which 
lies  outside  the  citv  limits. 

T/ie  City  Planning  Movement — ig02. — The  park  move- 
ment, under  the  guidance  of  the  City  Parks  .Association, 
was  the  natural  precursor  of  the  city  planning  movement. 
Parks  are  but  functions  of  the  city  plan.  In  1902,  the 
Citv  Parks  Association  issued  a  report  severely  condemn- 
ing the  rigidity  of  Philadelphia's  street  system.  Since  the 
publication  of  that  report,  the  Board  of  Surveyors,  ot 
which  Chester  E.  Albright  is  now  president,  and  which  is 
the  legally  constituted  body  charged  with  the  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  the  city's  street  system,   has 


adopted  the  policies  urged  by  the  .Association.  In  tact, 
the  City  Parks  Association  and  the  Fairmount  Park 
Association,  referred  to  later,  may  fairly  be  said  to  be  the 
two  organizations  that  have  most  furthered  the  city 
phmning  movement  in  Phihuielphia.  Iiuleeii  the  City 
Parks  .Association  might  fairly  be  calleil  the  City  Planning 
.Association  ot  Philadelphia. 

Rational  Street  Phntnin); — Fairmoioil  Parkway. — The 
movement,  started  in  1902,  by  the  City  Parks  .Associa- 
tion, has  lead  to  more  rational  planning  ot  the  street  sys- 
tem in  suburban  districts,  the  widening  and  improving  of 
old  roads,  and  the  laying  out  of  atlditional  diagonal 
avenues  to  provide  direct  communications  between  local 
business  centers  or  detached  suburban  communities.  The 
most  important  of  the  new  diagonals  and  the  one  which  has 
attracted  attention  generally  throughout  the  country,  is 
the  Fairmount  Parkway  between  the  City  Hall,  at  the 
city  center,  and  the  entrance  to  Fairmount  Park.  The 
total  length  of  this  parkway  is  i  '4  miles.  The  city  has 
spent  over  J6,ooo,ooo  on  this  project  and,  by  a  vote  of 
the  people  in  May,  1916,  $9,000,000  was  made  available 
for  its  further  prosecution.  .At  the  northwestern  terminus, 
on  a  hill  dominating  the  parkway,  the  .Art  Museum  is  to 
be  erected,  facing  a  plaza  around  which  various  public 
buildings  are  to  be  grouped.  Fronting  the  parkway  at  a 
point  on  its  route  called  Logan  Sijuare,  a  public  library  is 


Philadelphia.— Open  Space  Planned  at  Intersection  ot'  Important  Streets,  .Arturduig  Opporiiinit)   I..1   I- 111c  .Architectural  Kffcct 
and  Serving  as  Center  of  Community  Interests  and  as  Traffic  Distributer. 


138 


Crr^'    PLANNING    PROGRESS 


THE  PARKWAY 

FROM  

CITY  HALL  TO  FAIRMOUMT  PARK 

PHILAOCLPMrA 

1"  City  Kali 

2' Sit  k%ioi  foo  uit  of  AMtaiUN  PniLOiOPriickL  SootTT  *t  ORDitt&NCti  July  Ii.l91l  wid  DtcEwBts  1 ,  1911 

3'5tuTeLEPtiONt  Building 

4'R  C  CikTMtoBfcL  or  5t  PtitR  AHP  5t  Paul 

5  WilliEyeHojpjt*l 

6-AC(HJttttD  lb  JlTt  fOK  pRkNULlM  iMSTJTl^t 
7Ac»Pt*«V0f  NkTuBJlL  bcitMCtS 

8-AfrBOPRI*,TtDM*DDiTlCnTpLo6Ali  !wu»Ke  BY  OfiPIM».MCt.M*Y  20  I9IS 
S-pRO^OJtP  iiTt  f  OR  SoLPitRS  JlMP  ^kiLORS  MoNuMCNI 

I&S(LtCTtD«HTtfoafAuNmrw.CouRTi  Building  BY  Ofti>iM*j<ces  btPTiMfttR  Z3,I9I4  AHoJuNt  4  l9lS 
llSn*iiot'o«y«oF  Ffltt  L'WURY  or  PwiLfcoeLPM*  by  Oroi/^anci  ^prilS.IS! 
125o*$fiUD5iTt  fOR  Municipal  Auditorium 
IWtTAiiDEAi  jiTt  roR  MonicipalVt  Gallery  by  ORoiNAMce.Aj-RiL  10  1911. 

UW*SHlh&TOH  Mbnumemt 

Philadelphia. — Fairmount  Parkway,  1/4  Miles  Long,  Connecting  the  City  Hall  with  the  Entrance  to  Fairmount  Park. 

At  the  latter  terminus  the  Art  Museum  is  about  to  be  erected. 


Philadelphia. — Municipal  Auditorium  in  Fairmount  Parkway,  Funds  for  the  Erection  <>t  W  huh  were  Recently  \'oted. 
The  auditorium  is  to  be  located  on  the  stretch  between  the  Library  (on  the  north  sitie  of  Logan  Square)  and  the  Art  Museum 
(at  the  northwestern  terminus  of  the  parkway). 


CITY   PLANNING    PROCRKSS 


KV) 


F'ropowd  (ItvjFfd  lino 

Propowd  Surface  tmti 

Quilt  upjrcj 

P^c^€nt  afidpropo^d  ynjil  parki  jodpk,raufl4\ 


Philadelphia. — Plan  of  South  Philadelphia  Improvement,  Showing  Main  Avenues,  Secomlary  ami  Minor  Streets,  Open  Spaces  at 
Important  Intersections,  Belt-I,ine  Railroad,  and  Delaware  Avenue  Now  Being  Widened. 


about  to  be  erected,  and  between  the  latter  square  and  the 
Museum  a  municipal  auditorium.  This  great  project  was 
conceived  by  the  Fairmount  Park  Art  Association  which 
engaged  Paul  P.  Cret,  Clarence  C.  Zantzinger,  and  Charles 
L.  Borie,  Jr.,  members  of  the  American  Institute  of 
.•Architects,  to  prepare  plans  and  drawings,  about  1908. 

River  Embankments. — One  of  the  great  needs  of  the 
city  which  the  Fairmount  Park  Art  Association  is  now 
urging  and  has  urged  for  a  number  of  years  is  the  build- 
ing of  the  Schuylkill  embankments,  involving  the  exten- 
sion of  Fairmount  Park  southward  along  both  sides  of  the 
Schuylkill    River    to    Bartram's    Garden,    a    distance    of 


more  than  j  miles,  by  a  system  of  embankments.  .A  similar 
scheme  has  been  proposed  tor  a  park  along  the  Delaware 
River  for  a  distance  of  about  "!';  miles,  practicallv  all  of 
which  is  now  owned  by  the  city. 

\'orlheast  Boulevard.  —.Another  great  biiule\arii,  the 
creation  of  which  is  traceable  to  the  movement  tor  more 
comprehensive  planning,  is  the  Northeast  Boulevard,  6 
miles  in  length  and  .100  feet  wide  throughout,  a  mile  of 
which  is  now  in  use  and  the  remainder  nearing  the  last 
steps  of  construction,  including  the  construction  of  its 
three  branches  beyond  its  northeast  terminus,  each  150 
feet  wide. 


140 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


South  Broad  Street  also  has  been  completed  as  a  park- 
way of  a  width  ofjoo  teet  from  the  Plaza  to  League  Island, 
and  the  improvement  of  the  Plaza  and  Park  is  partly 
completed. 

Soulh  Philadelphia  Improvement. ^T\\e  last-mentioned 
improvements  form  part  of  the  general  scheme  of  compre- 
hensive replanning  for  an  area  of  about  5,000  acres  in 
South  Philadelphia.  This  undertaking  is  probably  the 
largest  project  dealing  with  the  revision  of  the  street 
system  and  appurtenances  yet  officially  authorized  in 
its  entirety  by  any  city  in  the  United  States.  The  plan 
for  this  section  was  worked  out  by  the  Comprehensive 
Plans  Division  of  the  Bureau  of  Surveys,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  B.  A.  Haldeman.  An  ordinance,  approved  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1914,  authorized  the  rearrangement  and  coor- 
dination of  the  railroad  and  freight  terminal  facilities  in 


Philadelphia. — Model  ot  the  .Art  Museum  (upon  which 
work  is  about  to  be  commenced),  Dominating  the  Plaza  at  the 
Northwestern  Terminus  of  Fairmount  Parkway  and  the  Center 
of  a  Future  .'\rt  and  Educational  Center. 

this  section;  the  acquisition  by  the  city  ot  large  areas 
along  the  Delaware  River  for  the  establishment  of  a 
system  of  municipal  piers;  and  a  general  revision  of  the 
street  system.  The  cost  of  the  work  immediately  author- 
ized is  estimated  at  about  $25,000,000,  and  sufficient 
funds  have  been  appropriated  to  complete  it. 

Modern  Planning  Principles  Applied. — The  street  sys- 
tem previously  established  was  a  severely  rectangular 
one  with  few  streets  exceeding  60  feet  in  width.  The 
revision  contemplates  a  very  material  breaking  up  of  the 
old  system  and  the  adoption  ot  a  system  based  on  gen- 
erally accepted  modern  city  planning  practice,  with  marked 
differentiation  between  main,  secondary,  and  residential 
thoroughfares.  The  standardization  of  the  cross-section 
subdivisions  of  the  streets  and  the  application  ot  the 
elastic  principle  ot  street  construction  are  teatures  ot  the 
work. 

The  preparation  of  the  South  Philadelphia  plans  has 
involved  the  consideration  of  all  the  elements  ol  city 
planning,  and  efforts  have  been  made  to  anticipate  and 
encourage  both  public  and  private  development  along 
liberal  and  broadly  progressive  lines. 

New  and  Progressive  Forms  oj  City  Extension. — The 
revision  and  extension  of  the  street  system  in  South 
Philadelphia  is  an  example  of  the  changes  made  by  the 
Board  of  Surveyors  as  the  result  ot  the  city  planning 
awakening  referred  to  above.  Such  revisions  are  con- 
stantly being  made  in  areas  not  yet  built  up,  as  new  city 
planning  needs  become  apparent  to  meet  new  and  progres- 
sive forms  of  city  development.    In  this  connection,  the 


revision  and  extension  of  the  street  system  over  an  area 
of  about  20  square  miles  of  undeveloped  territory  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  city  has  been  authorized,  and 
preliminary  surveys  and  studies  are  being  made. 

Street  IFidenings  and  Cuttings. — Several  important 
street  widenings  and  cuttings  are  under  way,  or  are  likely 
to  be  consummated  in  the  near  future.  In  connection 
with  the  South  Philadelphia  improvement  referred  to 
above,  there  is  the  widening  ot  the  marginal  ways  along 
the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  Rivers  to  give  better  facilities 
to  commercial  and  shipping  interests  at  the  port.  The 
Delaware  riverfront  improvement  has  been  confirmed, 
and  a  street  varying  from  150  to  200  feet  wide  is  now  in 
course  of  construction,  .'^bout  half  a  mile  has  already  been 
completed,  and  2  miles  additional  are  now  being  built. 
."Xnother  important  project  gradually  being  realized  is  the 
widening  of  Chestnut  Street  from  50  to  60  teet.  This 
widening  proceeds  only  as  rapidly  as  buildings  abutting 
upon  the  street  are  rebuilt. 

Traffic  Circuit. — Mention  should  also  be  made  ot  a 
project,  now  under  consideration  by  the  city  authorities, 
which  has  been  proposed  by  the  Comprehensive  Plans 
Commission,  an  official  body  organized  in  1912  as  the 
result  of  the  agitation  carried  on  by  various  non-officia! 
organizations  for  comprehensive  city  planning.  The  plan 
involves  the  construction  of  a  quadrangular,  broad 
avenue  encircling  the  principal  business  district  and  has 
been  urged  by  the  Comprehensive  Plans  Commission  tor  a 
number  of  years.  While  it  will  involve  an  outlay  of 
between  ^30,000,000  and  $40,000,000,  the  relief  which  it 
is  expected  to  bring  to  traffic  in  the  central  district  and 
the  fact  that  a  large  part  of  its  cost,  perhaps  50  per  cent, 
will  be  met  by  assessments  on  the  benefited  districts,  more 
than  justify  its  construction.  Moreover,  a  considerable 
share  of  the  cost  will  later  be  realized  by  the  city 
through  an  increase  in  taxable  values  in  the  route  ot 
the  circuit.  John  Hall  Rankin,  member  ot  the  Com- 
mittee on  Town  Planning  of  the  American  Institute 
of  Architects,  is  chairman  of  the  Comprehensive  Plans 
Commission. 

"Comprehensive  Plans" — igil. — The  Comprehensive 
Plans  Commission  was  officially  organized  the  year  fol- 
lowing the  preparation  of  plans  designated  "Philadelphia's 
Comprehensive  Plans."  This  latter  work  was  performed 
by  various  committees  appointed  by  Mayor  Reyburn,  in 
October,  1909,  to  investigate  and  make  reports  on  certain 
features  of  the  city  plan  with  a  view  to  devising  some  com- 
prehensive plan  of  action  in  the  development  of  Phila- 
delphia. No  special  report  was  ever  published  giving 
the  results  of  the  studies  by  the  various  committees,  but  a 
special  illustrated  number  of  Philadelphia  (Vol.  IV,  No. 
3,  March,  191 1),  a  magazine  published  by  the  city  govern- 
ment, "was  given  over  to  summarizing  the  work  done  and 
the  proposals  recommended  by  the  committees.  There 
were  over  seventv  citizens  serving  on  the  various  com- 
mittees, among  them  John  H.  Windrim,  member  ot  the 
.American  Institute  of  .'\rchitects.  Since  191 1,  official 
progress  in  carrying  the  comprehensive  plans  into  effect, 
particularly  in  the  South  Philadelphia  improvement,  has 
been  noted  in  the  Annual  Reports  of  the  Bureau  of  Sur- 
veys. The  most  important  of  the  plans  submitted  by  the 
committees  was  one  of  the  entire  city,  showing  proposed 


CITY    PLANNING    IM^CKJRKSS 


141 


improvements,  which  has  been  officially  used  as  the  base 
map  tor  preparing  detailed  plans. 

Trunsil  Plans. — In  May,  1 91 6,  the  people,  by  an  over- 
whelming vote,  approved  a  total  loan  of  $1  14,000,000  for 
improvement  purposes.  This  is  the  biggest  sum  that  the 
citizens  have  ever  voted  tor  improvement  work.  .Amonu 
the  matters  which  are  to  be  cared  for  under  this  loan  is  a 
rapid  transit  system,  to  be  constructed  and  owned  by  the 
city,  for  which  ^57,000,000  was  provided,  including  the 
Broad  Street  Subway  and  an  elevated  line  running  north- 
eastwardly to  Frankford.    The  investigations  for  the  rapid 


carried  out  by  the  Dejiartment  of  Wharves,  Docks  and 
Ferries,  ot  which  (ieorge  S.  Wciistcr  is  now  director.  The 
same  loan  provideii  a  fund  of  #S,oco,ooo  for  the  elimina- 
tion ot  grade  crossings.  I'hiladelphia,  with  the  possilile 
exception  ot  Chicago,  is  doing  more  actual  grade  cross- 
ing elimination  than  any  other  city.  Much  of  this  work 
is  being  done  in  South  Philadelphia  in  connection  with  the 
comprehensive  improvement  referred  to  above. 

'/.rjni>is  Cotiimission. — In  May,  1915,  the  legislature  of 
Pennsylvania  authorized  cities  of  the  first  class  to  under- 
take districting  and  zonini;  work.     Bv  ordinance  of  the 


iiii  ||-||tt||||ii|g^ 

cfsiiasi 


119  BBIMEBeiii  |h :  I 


■  PPOPOSED  •  CE.NTRAL  •  TRAFFIC  ■  CIKCI  1 1  •  AND-  \PI'l)0\CH[  -S' 


Philadelphia. — Proposed  Central  Traffic  Circuit  ami  .Approaches.    .•X  Plan  Invii 
trict  to  Relieve  Congestion  and  to  Increase  Taxable  Values. 


:  the  \\  iilenini;  ii(  .Streets  in  the  Central  Dis- 


transit  system  were  begun  in  1912,  under  .\.  Merritt 
Taylor,  Transit  Commissioner,  and  are  among  the  most 
exhaustive  that  have  been  made  in  this  field  by  any  city 
in  the  country.  The  lull  report  on  Mr.  Tavlor's  studies  are 
given  in  two  large  volumes  published  in  Julv,  191J,  one  ot 
which  contains  many  maps  of  suggestive  value  to  tho,se 
studying  the  problems  of  transit  in  relation  to  the  city 
plan.  Mr.  Taylor  was  succeeded  in  I9i'i  by  William  B. 
Twining. 

Docks  and  Piers — Grade  Crossings. — Under  the  loan 
above  reterred  to,  ?  10,000,000  was  voted  for  a  modern 
system  of  docks  and  piers  to  be  located  on  the  south 
Delaware  waterfront.  This  and  a  number  of  other  com- 
prehensive waterfront  projects  and  port  plans  have  been 


Citv  Council  (it  Julv  20,  \')\(i,  the  Mavor  appointed  the 
I'hiladelphia  Zonini;  Commission,  ot  which  Chester  K. 
.Albright  is  chairman.  Kiigar  V.  Seeler,  member  of  the 
.American  Institute  ot  .Architects,  is  serving  on  this  Com- 
mission. B.  .A.  Haliieman,  assistant  engineer  ot  the  Com- 
prehensive Plans  Division  of  the  Bureau  ot  Surveys,  is 
serving  as  advisory  engineer  to  the  Commission.  The 
Zoning  Commission  is  now  at  work. 

.■/!■!  Jury. — The  remarkable  accomplishments  of  art 
commissions  in  certain  .American  cities  is  nowhere  better 
exemplified  than  in  Philadelphia  where  the  Art  Jury,  of 
which  .Andrew  Wright  Crawtord  is  secretary,  is  per- 
torminn  a  great  service  to  the  community  in  exercising 
critical  judgment  on  the  design  ot  all  public  works  and  on 


142 


CITY  P  LANNING   PROGRESS 


all  private  works  that  extend  over  streets,  rivers,  and 
similar  public  property.  In  the  second  year  of  its  existence 
it  passed  upon  projects  involving  over  ^9,000,000,  at  a  cost 
to  the  city  at  less  than  $4,000. 

Housing. — The  work  that  has  been  done  in  the  improve- 
ment of  housing  conditions  in  Philadelphia  by  various 
organizations  deserves  a  much  broader  discussion  than 
our  space  permits.    In  particular,  the  Philadelphia  Housing 


Philadelphia. — Prize  Plan  for  Model  Workingmen's  Devel- 
opment on  a  Tract  of  2.7  Acres  in  the  Philadelphia  Industrial 
District. 


Philadelphia. — Store    and    Dwelling    in    Model    Industrial 
District.   Prize  Plan. 

.'\ssociation,  of  which  Bernard  J.  Newman  was  until 
recently  executive  secretary,  and  of  which  John  Ihlder, 
formerly  field  secretary  of  the  National  Housing  Associa- 
tion, is  now  the  director,  is  the  active  body  for  the  improve- 
ment of  housing  conditions.  It  was  privately  organized  by 
delegates  from  forty  social  and  charitable  organizations  to 
promote  programs  for  housing  betterment  in  Philadelphia. 
The  Association  has  published  numerous  reports,  and  its 
efforts  have  resulted  in  the  enactment  of  a  comprehensive 
housing  law;  the  passage  of  numerous  ordinances  relating 
to  the  planning  and  sewerage  of  streets,  the  control  of  sta- 
bles, sanitation,  vacant  lots,  and  numerous  other  similar 
housing   and   sanitary   improvements;   the   creation   of  a 


zoning  law  and  the  organization  of  the  Zoning  Commis- 
sion. There  is  also  the  Octavia  Hill  .Association,  a  4  per 
cent  philanthropy.  The  .'\ssociation  buys  old  properties, 
renovates  them,  and  rents  them  to  tenants,  keeping  super- 
vision over  such  tenants.  Recently  it  has  built  a  number 
of  properties  which  it  also  has  under  its  own  management. 
There  is  also  a  Division  ot  Housing  and  Sanitation  in  the 
municipal  government  which  has  the  supervision  of  plans 
and   is  in   charge  ot   official   investigations  ot   properties. 

Suburbn)!  Planning. — There  was  tormerly  a  Suburban 
Planning  .Association,  ot  which  Carol  Aronovici  was 
secretary,  privately  organized  in  191 2  to  promote  coopera- 
tion between  the  towns  and  boroughs  of  suburban  Phila- 
delphia on  town  planning  matters.  There  was  also  a 
Metropolitan  Suburban  Planning  Commission,  organized 
in  1 913,  of  which  George  R.  Sullivan,  of  Merion,  Pa.,  was 
secretary,  to  do  officially  what  the  Suburban  Planning 
.Association  was  doing  unofficially,  and  which  had  charge 
ot  the  suburban  districts  within  25  miles  of  the  limits  of 
Philadelphia.  Neither  ot  these  latter  organizations  are 
now  in  existence. 

Conclusion. — The  actual  advance,  which  is  briefly 
recorded  above,  is  due  to  those  organizations  and  indi- 
viduals specifically  referred  to,  working  in  conjunction 
with  many  other  powerful  organizations,  such  as  the 
Chamber  ot  Commerce,  the  Academy  ot  Fine  Arts,  the 
New  Century  Club,  the  Board  ot  Trade,  and  the  Phila- 
delphia Chapter  ot  the  .American  Institute  of  .Architects. 
Of  the  last-mentioned  organization,  those  particularly 
active  are  C.  L.  Borie,  Jr.,  D.  Knickerbacker  Boyd,  Paul 
P.  Cret,  Frank  Miles  Day,  William  Copeland  Furber, 
.Albert  Kelsey,  Milton  B.  Medary,  Jr.,  John  Molitor,  John 
Hall  Rankin,  Edgar  V.  Seeler,  Horace  Wells  Sellers,  C.  C. 
Zantzinger,  and  many  others. 


Pittsburgh 


Pennsylvania 

There  is  a  strange  mingling  ot  opposites,  of  great  oppor- 
tunities and  great  handicaps,  both  in  the  physical  and 
social  aspects  of  the  life  of  Pittsburgh  (579,090).  One  of  the 
finest  settings  for  a  city  in  the  world  is  besmirched  by  the 
smoke,  grime,  and  refuse  originating  in  the  great  steel 
plants. 

The  Awakening. — The  first  evidence  of  a  new  point  ot 
view  is  shown  in  Charles  Mulford  Robinson's  pioneer 
report  for  the  Pittsburgh  survey,  brought  out  in  February, 
1909.  Mr.  Robinson  made  a  plea  tor  comprehensive  city 
planning  by  an  outside  commission.  .A  short  time  atter 
this  the  Pittsburgh  Civic  Commission,  of  which  Allen  R. 
Burns  was  secretary,  retained  Bion  J.  .Arnold,  John  R. 
Freeman  and  Frederick  Law  Olmsted  as  experts  to  outline 
constructive  investigations  into  "the  needs  and  limitations 
ot  the  Pittsburgh  Industrial  District — in  so  far  as  its 
physical  development  can  be  effectively  controlled  by  the 
action  ot  the  community."  The  outline,  a  30-page  docu- 
ment, covers  transportation,  construction  ot  thorough- 
fares and  parks,  water-supply,  sewage-disposal,  smoke- 
prevention,  and  building  regulation,  and  is  one  ot  the 
first  and  most  interesting  outlines  for  a  broad  program  tor 
city  planning  study  and  investigation.     Each  subject  is 


CITY   PLANNING    FkCX.RKSS 


14.^ 


treated  from  the  point  ot  view  of  the  needs  of"  the  whole 
district. 

Results. — Following  this  preliminary  report,  detailed 
studies  were  prepared.  The  most  notable,  by  Frederick 
Law  Olmsted,  dealt  with  a  comprehensive  system  of 
thoroughfares  to  knit  more  closely  every  section  ot  the 
civic  and  industrial  area  at  the  headwaters  ot  the  Ohio. 
This  was  published  in  1910  by  the  Civic  Commission  in  a 
report  entitled  "Pittsburgh — Main  Thoroughfares  and  the 
Downtown  District."  The  key  to  Mr.  Olmsted's  plan  has 
already  been  turned  by  Pittsburgh.  He  proposed  a  group 
location  of  all  down-town  buildings,  both  county  and  citv, 
and  this  scheme  has  been  finally  adopted  by  both  au- 
thorities. From  this  center  can  easily  radiate  a  complete 
and  adequate  system  ot  main  thoroughfares.  Practical 
beginnings  have  been  made  by  the  city  in  cutting  down 
the  "hump,"  as  the  hill  is  called,  which  has  cramped  the 
business  district  since  Revolutionary  times;  in  opening  new 
streets  and  in  widening  alleys  into  streets.  His  recom- 
mendations for  outlying  thoroughfares  are  now  before  a 
City  Planning  Commission,  created  in  191 1,  and  the 
direct  outgrowth  of  the  planning  movement  begun  by  the 
Civic  Commission.  The  most  important  of  these  recom- 
mendations is  one  to  open  up,  by  means  of  a  tunnel, 
thousands  of  acres  within  a  mile  of  the  down-town  dis- 
trict, now  isolated  by  cliffs  and  ravines.  The  plan  tor  such 
a  tunnel,  the  city's  most  needed  physical  improvement, 
has  had  to  contend  with  rival  plans  advanced  by  the 
county  authorities  and  is  a  much-discussed  project. 


Puiiil  Dislriil.  -Next  in  importance  to  the  plan  tor 
a  civic  center  with  radiating  streets  and  the  south  hills 
tunnel  is  that  for  the  "point  district"  and  for  an  improved 
riverfront  with  a  belt-drive  around  the  down-town  liis- 
trict.  The  same  subject  has  nicjre  recently  been  treateii 
by  Kdward  H.  Bennett,  ot  Chicago,  who  submitted  to  the 
.Art  Commission  of  Pittsburgh,  on  March  25,  1914,  de- 
tailed schemes  for  development  of  the  "point  district." 
It  is  here,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Ohio,  Monongahela 
and  Allegheny  Rivers,  that  all  the  most  inspiring  associa- 
tions ot  the  city  are  chiefly  centered. 

F/ood-Prnention.  Connecteil  with  riverfront  improve- 
ment work  are  the  studies  of  the  Pittsburgh  Flood  Com- 
mission, which  submitted  an  exhaustive  report,  calling  tor 
a  system  of  .seventeen  reservoirs  situated  in  the  head- 
waters ot  the  two  rivers,  and  costing  #20,000,000. 

Sewerage  System. — Bound  up  with  the  joint  program 
outlined  above  is  the  projection  ot  water-supply  and  sewer- 
age facilities  for  the  entire  metropolitan  district,  irrespec- 
tive of  artificial  legal  boundaries.  The  report  on  an  ade- 
quate sewer  system,  made  to  the  city  by  .Allen  Hazen,  ot 
New  York,  recommended  trunk  sewers  under  the  river- 
front wM  and  drive,  all  to  be  built  at  the  same  time,  thus 
gaining  minimum  utility  at  an  expense  which  is  but  a 
traction  of  what  the  citv  hati  anticipated  tor  a  sewerage 
system  alone.  The  whole  enterprise  is  one  ot  the  most 
striking  illustrations  ot  the  interlocking  of  large  plans  for 
public  improvements. 

Transit. — In  regard  to  that  part  ot  the  work  ot  com- 


E!S  PAKKS;FwnciMT;iPLl\Y<;RO\MDI 
■  CEA\ETEKie5 

O    SCAGOLS^RAKOCHlALSCflOi 

+  C^STKCHES 

■ COLLEQES 

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•    TMKATERS 

■»  NICKELODEONS 

o    SALOONS 
=^=  STREET  CAR  LINES 
=^  BOVLEVARDS 


PITTSBURGH 


1908 

Pitts BLRc— Map  Showing  Distribution  of  Public  and  Semi-public  Grounds  and  Institutions,  Prepared  by  the  Pittsburgh  Survey 
1908. 
In  city  planning  or  social  survey  work,  knowledge  with  regard  to  the  location  and  extent  of  existing  community  assets  is  essential. 


JnVs>v'  v 


GKNLHAL  PLAN 

or  THE 

DOWN  TOWN  DISTRICr 

SCALE 


H       1       V      K       K 


k 


Pittsburgh. — Plan  tor  Improving  Downtown  District. 
Streets  lined  in  heavy  black  indicate  proposed  changes  and  widenings.    Location  for  group  of  public  buildings  at  right. 

"*rHE    AR.r     COMMISSION    Of    PMT.SB\'!LGH 

Pli.OtOStll     DHTI.DPMr.ST    OF     THt      POIVT       OlSTtlCT 
Ell  BF.SSETI       ALCHITECT       CHKAI.d 


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PER-SPECTIVE      VIIW     1.00SJNC    tASI 

Pittsburgh. — .Art  Commission's  Proposal  for  the  Treatment  of  the  Point  District. 
It  is  here  that  all  of  the  most  inspiring  associations  ot  the  city  are  chiefly  centered. 

144 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRKSS 


'45 


prehensive  planning  haxing  to  do  witli  street  transit,  an 
extensive  report  was  made  to  the  city  officials  by  Bion  J. 
Arnold,  who  recommended  an  immediate  rehabilitation  ot' 
the  whole  service  at  an  expense  of  Jio,ooo,ooo  and  a  reor- 
ganization of  the  company,  and  laid  down  a  mcthotl  of 
procedure  tor  securing  rapid  transit. 

Ship  Canal. — A  still  more  ambitious  and  far-reachint; 
physical  improvement  is  the  ship  canal,  now  authorized, 
providing  a  water  connection  with  the  (ireat  Lakes. 

City  Plan  Commission. — Unfortunately,  the  existing 
City  Planning  Commission,  officially  appointed,  of  which 
(jeneral  .Albert  Logan  is  chairman,  is  receiving  meager 
financial  support  under   the  present  administration,  and 


Prrr.sBL'RCH. — Part  of  General  Mapof  the  Pittsburgh  Di.strict, 
Prepared  for  the  Pittsburgh  Civic  Commis.sion,  .Showiny:  the  Point 
District  at  the  Confluence  ot  Three  Rivers. 

One  dot  represents  200  people.  Manufacturing  property  is 
shown  in  black;  parks  and  cemeteries  in  dark  dotted  areas;  rail- 
road property  in  cross-hatched  areas;  and  slopes  steeper  than 
25  per  cent  in  light-shaded  areas. 

the  organization  is,  as  a  whole,  not  so  well  equipped  tor 
work. 

Citizen  Committees. — The  Municipal  Planning  Com- 
mittee of  the  Civic  Club,  of  which  William  Boyd,  Jr.,  is 
chairman,  is  an  active  group  ot  men  ot  whom  considerable 
accomplishment  is  expecteti.  The  Housing  Conference  ot 
Pittsburgh,  of  which  Frederick  Bigger,  Jr.,  a  member  of 
the  .American  Institute  of  Architects,  is  secretary,  has 
attempted  to  build  up  a  strong  and  influential  organization 


tor  improving  housing  conditions  and  civic  matters  gen- 
erally. The  Conference  is  interested  in  city  planning  and 
is  anticipating  active  work  along  these  lines.  Mr.  Bigger 
is  the  chairman  of  the  Town  Planning  Committee  ot  the 
Pittsburgh  Chapter  of  the  .American  institute  of  Architects. 

Pittsticlci 
Massachusetts 

In  the  Berkshire  Hills  region  in  western  Massachusetts, 
best  known  as  a  famous  and  attractive  vacation  resort, 
Pittsfield  (38,629)  is  the  chief  city,  a  lively  industrial 
center  in  addition  to  being  the  focus  of  the  main  routes 
trom  the  attractive  summer  resorts  distributed  through- 
out this  district.  The  city  has  manufacturing  establish- 
ments, giving  employment  to  nearly  S,ooo  operatives,  ami 
there  is  every  promise  that  the  inilustrial  development  ot 
the  city  will  continue. 

Planning  anil  Park  Boanls.—  Pittstield  has  a  Planning 
lioard,  organized  under  the  Nhissachusetts  act,  but  which 
has  received  practically  no  support  trom  the  city  and  has 
been  obliged  to  curtail  its  activities  to  such  an  extent  that 
it  has  accomplished  almost  nothing.  There  is  also  a 
Park  Commission  which  supervises  the  development  of 
local  parks  and  playgroumis,  whose  work  is  steadily  in- 
creasing in  importance,  but  at  the  present  time  the  park 
system  of  Pittsfield  is  a  negligible  quantity  in  the  total  ot 
the  city's  assets.  In  Burbank  Park,  however,  with  a  halt 
mile  of  lake  frontage,  Pittstield  has  a  really  Iteautitul 
natural  park.  There  is  no  question  but  that  Pittsfiekl 
would  be  vastly  benefited  by  a  comprehensive  city  plan, 
providing  a  program  tor  future  development  commen- 
surate with  the  increasing  industrial  and  social  activities 
ot  the  citv  and  with  its  importance  as  the  commercial 
center  ot  the  entire  Berkshire  region. 

Portland 
Maine 

The  most  active  organization  in  city  planning  in  Port- 
land (63,876)  is  the  Committee  on  City  Planning  of  the 
new  Chamber  of  Commerce,ot  which  John  Calvin  Stevens, 
a  member  of  the  .American  Institute  ot  .Architects,  is 
chairman,  and  Seth  .A.  Moulton,  consulting  engineer,  is  a 
very  active  member.  Mr.  .Stevens  ami  his  colleagues  have 
conducted  a  persistent  campaign  to  arouse  public  interest 
in  city  planning  for  I^)rtland  by  publishing  articles  in  the 
newspapers,  bv  bringing  lecturers  to  the  city,  and  liy  using 
the  influence  of  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce  to  foster  better 
ways  of  city  building. 

Chamber  of  Commerce  Committee. — .A  few  years  ago  the 
active  members  of  the  old  Board  of  Trade,  now  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  including  Mr.  Stevens,  succeeded 
in  gettini;  an  ordinance  through  the  City  Council  providing 
for  the  appointment  of  a  City  Planning  Commission  by  the 
Mayor.  The  ordinance  was  not  maniiatory,  and  as  the 
Mayor  telt  that  to  appropriate  money  lor  the  work  ot  the 
commission  was  not  a  desirable  step  to  take  at  the  time, 
no  commission  was  appointed.  With  the  awakened  senti- 
ment in  the  community  resultinu  trom  the  activities  ot  the 


146 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRESS 


Committee  on  City  Planning  of  th(e  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
city  planning  is  again  coming  to  the  forefront.  However, 
a  movement  is  on  foot  looking  to  a  change  in  the  city 
charter,  and  the  Committee  feels  that  until  final  settle- 
ment is  made  on  the  type  of  city  government  to  be  estab- 
lished and  the  form  of  the  city  charter  to  be  adopted,  a 
permanent  city  planning  commission  would  not  be  of  great 
service. 

Civic  Center. — City  Planning,  in  some  of  its  phases,  has 
received  serious  consideration  in  Portland.  In  1907,  fol- 
lowing the  burning  of  the  old  City  Hall  building,  a  com- 
mission was  appointed  to  study  the  question  of  location 
for  the  new  building.  The  report  of  this  commission  pre- 
sented five  possible  solutions  of  the  problem.  It  partic- 
ularly emphasized  the  fine  opportunity  which  existed  for 


Portland,  Me. — Plan  for  Civic  Center  about  Enlarged  Lin- 
coln Square,  as  Proposed  by  a  Commission  .Appointed  to  Con- 
sider the  Rebuilding  of  a  City  Hall. 

Five  solutions  were  presented.  The  one  shown  provided  for  a 
City  Hall  on  the  main  axis,  dominating  Lincoln  Park  and  the 
other  civic  buildmgs, 

the  creation  of  a  civic  center  of  which  the  city  might  be 
proud  and  recommended  the  placing  of  the  City  Hall  on 
a  site  where  it  would  be  one  of  a  group  of  buildings,  notably 
the  County  Court,  the  Federal  Court,  and  others,  all  to 
center  about  Lincoln  Park.  The  entire  plan  which  was 
urged  by  the  Commission  had  many  desirable  features, 
but  owing  to  local  objections,  a  referendum  was  ordered 
and,  as  a  result,  the  scheme  was  defeated,  and  the  City 
Hall,  a  very  beautiful  building  by  the  way,  was  erected 
on  the  old  site  without  relation  to  any  other  public  build- 
ing. The  Commission  did  succeed  in  securing  an  addition 
to  Lincoln  Park  as  proposed  in  their  recommended  plans. 
Terminal  Station. — Again,  in  191 2,  a  proposition  was 
presented  by  a  terminal  company  for  a  new  track  location. 
The  architects  of  the  city  banded  together  to  defeat  this 
project,  urging  that  the  location  proposed  was  neither 
beneficial  to  the  railroad  nor  to  the  city's  development. 
They  presented  their  case  to  the  city  and  urged  the  em- 
ployment of  a  city  planning  expert.  This  proposition 
appealed  to  the  city  government  and  to  the  business  men 


of  the  city.    When  the  question  had  reached  this  stage, 
the  whole  matter  was  dropped. 

Commission  Needed. — Portland  needs  a  city  planning 
commission,  one  that  can  arouse  it  to  its  great  oppor- 
tunities. The  city  is  developing,  not  rapidly,  but  along 
normal  lines  and  in  many  ways  in  a  manner  that  will 
prove  costly  to  future  generations  unless  comprehensive 
plans  are  prepared  now  and  followed  out. 

Portland 

Oregon 

At  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Willamette  River,  12 
miles  from  its  confluence  with  the  Columbia  River,  and 
distant  1 10  miles  from  the  sea,  is  Portland  (295,463), 
the  sole  distributing  center  for  a  great,  potentially  pro- 
ductive territory,  connected  with  the  city  by  water  grade 
transportation.  For  each  ten  years  preceding  1910,  the 
city  had  more  than  doubled  its  population.  The  streets 
had  become  overburdened  with  traffic  because  of  narrow- 
ness, frequent  intersections  and  awkward  circulation; 
the  harbor  had  become  outgrown;  the  limitations  of  park 
area  were  being  seriously  felt.  Portland  had  been  con- 
tent to  build  as  building  was  forced  by  growth.  No  truly 
great  thing  in  municipal  composition  had  been  attempted. 

Greater  Portland  Plan  Association. — In  1 91  2  the  Greater 
Portland  Plan  Association  was  organized,  gathering  into 
its  membership  all  of  the  more  important  organizations 
within  the  city.  In  this  movement  the  architects,  through 
their  committees,  played  an  important  part.  Within  the 
Plan  Association  a  larger  membership  was  gathered  than 
were  enrolled  in  any  other  Portland  organization.  The 
outcome  was  a  subscription  of  j2o,ooo  to  meet  the  initial 
cost  of  preparing  a  comprehensive  plan.  Edward  H. 
Bennett,  of  Chicago,  was  engaged  to  make  investigations 
and  draft  a  plan.  After  about  a  year's  work,  the  plan  was 
completed.  It  provided  for  a  population  of  2,000,000 
people,  which  number  the  city  was  expected  to  house  in 
the  year  1940.  Street  circulation,  municipal  centers,  parks 
and  boulevards,  railway  and  water  terminals,  and  the 
like,  to  be  developed  in  progressive  stages,  were  outlined. 
Instead  of  a  city  within  the  existing  area  of  54  square 
miles,  the  plan  provided  for  a  district  of  150  square  miles 
to  accommodate  the  future  population.  To  carry  the  life 
and  business  of  the  city,  the  principle  of  traffic  circuits, 
combined  with  axial  and  radial  arteries,  was  extended 
throughout  the  plan.  A  broad  park  development  policy 
was  proposed,  with  an  ultimate  area  for  parks  of  nearly 
8,000  acres.  Special  study  was  given  to  the  development 
of  a  number  of  important  centers,  including  a  civic  center, 
a  transportation  center,  and  a  recreation  center,  and  to 
the  problems  of  freight  transportation  and  passenger 
terminals.  The  development  of  the  river  was  outlined  in 
a  program  to  be  continuously  and  definitely  followed  out. 

Getting  the  Plan  Over — Following  the  completion  ot  the 
plans,  the  Greater  Portland  Plans  Association  persuaded 
the  City  Council  to  appropriate  a  fund  for  the  publica- 
tion of  25,000  copies  of  the  preliminary  report,  in  a  book- 
let entitled  "The  Greater  Portland  Plan  and  Municipal 
Facts."  With  a  city-wide  distribution  ot  this  document,  a 
campaign  ot  publicity  was  carried  on  through  the  official 


CITY   PLANNINCi    PKCXikKSS 


u: 


PoRiLANU,  Ukl.      I'rupuinl  Dc;vclijpiiicnt  ut  the  Cit>.    Nicw  lioiii  .1  I'ublic  Terrace  in  the  Hills,  I.cHjkuiy  Noiiheast. 
The  Greater  Portland  Plan  calls  for  three  great  focal  points — the  Railway  Center  near  the  riverfront  (upper  center  of  the  illus- 
tration), the  Recreationl  Center  (on  left  center),  and  the  Civic  Center  (on  right  center);  the  two  latter  connected   hy  a  hroad  tree- 
planted  street  or  parkway. 


organ  of  the  Association,  called  the  Greiiler  Portland  Plan 
Monthly,  in  which  were  discussed  in  detail  the  various 
problems  presented  in  the  Bennett  plan.  Public  lectures, 
newspaper  articles,  and  rallies  were  used  to  impress  the 
people  with  the  vital  character  of  the  proposed  plans.  At 
the  polls  the  people  voted  their  approval  of  the  Bennett 
plan  and  made  it  the  official  guide  tor  future  improve- 
ments. The  Council  passed  an  ordinance  accepting  the 
plan  for  this  purpose,  ."^s  yet,  results  directly  traceable  to 
the  Greater  Portland  Plan  have  been  limited.  One  impor- 
tant traffic  artery  has  been  widened,  the  new  Federal  Post 


Office  has  been  locateil  in  accordance  with  the  recom- 
mendations, anti  a  civic  center  has  been  established, 
including  a  city  hall,  and  the  courthouse.  Unfortunately, 
the  great  auditorium  was  not  located  as  provided  in  the 
plan.  Ellis  F.  Lawrence,  a  member  of  the  Comniittc  on 
Town  Planning  ot  the  .American  Institute  ot  .Architects, 
has  been  an  active  supporter  in  all  ot  this  work,  and 
Marshall  M.  Dana,  secretary  and  general  manager  of  the 
Greater  Portland  Plans  -Association,  has  been  the  execu- 
tive force  back  of  the  active  propaganda  for  the  prepara- 
tion ami  execution  ot  the  plan. 


Portland,  Ore. — Ci\u  i.i.i 


liposCil. 


.\  city  hall  and  courthouse  have  been  erected  in  accordance  with  the  plan. 


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CITY  PLANNING   PROGRESS 


^V) 


Portsmouth 

Ohio 

The  civic  awakening  ot'  Portsmouth  (28,741)  is  evi- 
denced by  the  recent  creation  ot"  a  Bureau  of  Community 
Service,  with  H.  D.  Wehrly  as  director.  One  department 
of  the  Bureau  is  to  he  entrusted  with  the  solution  of  the 
local  housing  problem.  .A  large  percentage  of  rear  houses 
and  alley  houses  is  one  ot  the  complex  problems  which 
the  Bureau  has  betore  it. 

Poughkeepsie 

New  York 

There  is  a  City  Plannmg  Committee  ot  the  Chamber  ot 
Commerce  of  Poughkeepsie  (30,390).  Others  actively 
interested   are  Hon.    D.   \V.   Wilbur,   Mavor  ot   the  city. 


ttnLOPOllTM    ULLT   ULUH    K(^Y  1  LIP    ^^ 
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ciTv  Htu  Hi  oTBtL  t,i;E 0)11101/     mmsg 

Providence. — Map  of  the  Metropolitan  District  of  Provi- 
dence, Showing  Existing  and  Proposed  System  of  Parks  and 
Public  Reservations  Laid  Out  .According  to  the  Plan  of  190H  and 
Now  Comprising  1,022  Acres. 


James  Sague,  former  Public  Service  Commissioner  of  the 
second  district  of  New  York  State,  and  a  member  of  the 
.'\merican  Industrial  Commission  to  France  in  191'),  and 
C.  -A.  Simmons,  secretary  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Providence 

Rhode   Island 

The  more  modern  manifestations  of  civic  conscious- 
ness in  Providence  (254,960)  are  traceable  to  the  influence 
of  the  late  .Mtred  Stone,  member  of  the  American  Insti- 
tute of  Architects.  Through  the  inspiration  imparted  by 
him  to  the  Rhode  Island  Chapter  of  the  .American  Insti- 
titue  of  Architects,  movements  were  started  for  the  reclam- 
ation of  areas  which  had  long  proveii  an  eyesore  to  citizens 
of  Providence  and  for  the  acijuisition  of  large  tracts  out- 
lying (which  later  became  a  part  of  the  Metropolitan 
Park  System  ot  Providence).  As  has  iieen  stated  by 
Charles  K.  Lincoln,*  who  tor  years  has  been  closely 
affiliated  with  forward  movements  in  city  planning  and 
civic  improvement  in  Providence, 

"Anything  advocated  by  Alfred  Stone  has  since  borne 
the  test  of  public  opinion,  and  has  either  come  to  be,  or  is 
in  a  fair  way  to  be,  realized,  except  in  those  directions 
where  opportunities  were  torever  lost  by  delay.  He  had 
imagination,  and,  as  a  brilliant  architect,  could  vizualize 
and  present  finished  pictures  ot  things  that  did  not  yet 
exist." 

Park  Syslem.  —  It  was  in  1904  that  the  movement  for 
more  parks  and  better  parks  took  firm  root.  From  the 
early  eighties  up  until  that  time,  the  Public  Park  .Associa- 
tion had  agitated  civic  improvement,  and  especially  park 
development,  without  success.  This  Association  was  prac- 
tically revived  as  a  result  of  the  persistent  series  ot  re- 
markable "Letters  to  the  Editor,"  particularly  the  editor 
of  the  Providence  Journal,  in  which  there  was  sketched 
for  the  people  of  Providence  a  vision  ot  the  things  which 
the  Park  Association  had  but  taintly  drawn.  The  letters 
in  this  series,  written  by  .Alfred  Stone,  were  particularly 
convincing.  Emulating  the  example  ot  the  Boston  Metro- 
politan Commission,  there  was  organized  a  similar  com- 
mission, under  legislative  authority,  to  deal  with  the  open 
spaces  in  Providence  and  in  the  surrounding  towns,  in 
what  is  termed  the  metropolitan  district.  From  a  few 
hundred  acres  of  scattered  public  open  spaces,  the  Metro- 
politan Park  System  has  grown  to  be  a  comprehensive 
one  with  boulevards,  playgrounds,  and  large  parks, 
totaling  1,022  acres.  Henry  .A.  Barker,  secretary  of  the 
Metropolitan  Park  Commission  tor  many  years,  is  now, 
and  has  been,  a  staunch  supporter  in  this  big  movement. 
The  plans  for  the  Metropolitan  Park  System  were  pre- 
pared by  Olmsted  Brothers  in  1908. 

City  P/aiining  Commission. — An  official  City  Plan- 
ning Commission  was  appointed  in  1914,  with  Eleazer 
B.  Homer  as  chairman.  Without  adequate  support  from 
the  city,  the  Commission  has  been  badly  hampered  in  its 
program  of  city  planning.  It  has  been  unable  to  study  and 
devise  a  comprehensive  city  plan,  but  it  has  undertaken 
the  solution  of  some  ot  the  most  pressing  problems.  Its 
particular  achievement  has  been  its  work  in  replanning 

*In  the  Proi'idemt  Magazine,  .August,  1916. 


I50 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


and  improving  the  area  immediately  adjacent  to  the  new 
State  Capitol.  The  Commission  has  had  the  advice  of 
some  ot  the  best-known  landscape  architects  and  city 
planners  in  the  country  in  its  work  in  this  area,  and  the 
rearrangement,  according  to  its  plan,  has  received  the 
strong  support  ot"  public-spirited  citizens  and  city  officials. 
The  Commission  has  also  drawn  plans  for  a  number  ot 
main  thoroughfares,  linking  up  with  districts  now  isolated. 
In  the  present  year,  Theodore  B.  Greene  is  chairman  ot 
the  Commission. 

Other  fi'ork.—A  city  planning  study  of  special  inter- 
est from  the  street  and  traffic  standpoint  is  that  prepared 
by  John  R.  Freeman  in  May,  1912,  for  the  Commission 
on  East  Side  Approach,  relating  to  improved  highways 
and  parkways  for  the  east  side  of  Providence.  A  more 
recent  report  relating  to  transit,  and  particularly  rapid 
transit,  was  that  submitted  by  William  W.  Lewis  to  the 
Joint  Special  Committee  on  Subways  in  1914.  Perhaps 
one  of  the  most  notable  of  the  recent  achievements  was 
that  undertaken  for  the  development  of  the  waterfront 
at  Providence,  which  was  carried  through  in  record  time. 

Pueblo 

Colorado 

At  the  confluence  of  the  .Arkansas  and  Fountain  Rivers, 
and  the  third  city  in  size  in  a  territory  of  almost  900,000 
square  miles  (the  "Mountain  States  Division  of  the  U.  S. 
Census"),  Pueblo  (54,462)  occupies  a  strategic  industrial 
location,  due  to  her  permanent  natural  advantages  and 
particularly  her  nearness  to  certain  raw  products   capable 


RaleicjH.     Appru.icli    tu   State   Capitol,    with   Confederate 
Monument  Spoiling  a  Fine  View  of  the  Capitol  Building. 

of  feeding  a  host  of  factories.  Her  position  is  also  for- 
tunately at  the  junction  of  a  natural  line  of  travel  east 
and  west  with  a  north  and  south  route  along  the  eastern 
base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  These  natural  routes,  used 
in  trading-post  days,  are  today  used  by  transcontinental 
railroad  lines.  The  city  has  reached  the  size  where  it  can 
easily  make  corrections  in  its  plan  at  a  comparatively 


small  expense,  which  in  alter  years  could  be  accomplished 
only  at  a  prohibitive  outlay.  She  is  entering  a  period  of 
greater  growth  and  prosperity. 

Civic  Improvement  Committee. — In  October,  1914,  the 
Commercial  Club  appointed  a  Civic  Improvement  Com- 
mittee to  consider  the  preparation  of  a  comprehensive 
plan  of  improvements  for  the  city.  A  western  landscape 
architect,  Irvin  J.  McCrary,  was  selected  by  the  Commer- 
cial Club,  the  City  Commissioners,  and  the  Rotary  Club, 
to  prepare  a  report  and  plan  for  the  city,  and  ?i,ooo  was 
paid  for  this  work.  This  plan  was  completed  in  January, 
1916,  and  was  given  a  wide  circulation  in  a  campaign  of 
education.  The  first  step  in  the  plan,  that  of  the  location 
of  a  municipal  auditorium  and  city  hall,  has  already  been 
consummated.  Other  features  of  the  plan,  calling  tor  the 
improvement,  enlargement,  and  coordination  of  the  parks 
and  playgrounds,  the  extension,  widening,  and  cutting 
through  of  streets,  and  the  like,  are  being  undertaken 
gradually.  Unlike  most  cities  of  the  plains,  the  topog- 
raphy is  comparatively  hilly,  so  that  the  possibilties  for 
the  realization  of  beautitul  parks  and  outlook  points 
around  the  city  are  unusually  good.  W.  W.  Stickney,  an 
architect,  of  Pueblo,  is  an  active  and  enthusiastic  sup- 
porter of  all  ot  this  work. 

Quincy 

Illinois 

The  Civic  Improvement  League,  the  Civic  League,  the 
Park  and  Boulevarci  Association,  and  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  of  Quincy  (36,798)  are  all  working  for  a  com- 
prehensive city  plan.  The  city  has  already  established  a 
fine  park  system  of  joo  acres,  with  12  miles  of  roadway, 
and  a  waterfront  park  is  now  being  laid  out.  C.  L.  Wells, 
secretary  of  the  Civic  Improvement  League,  is  one  of  the 
active  promoters  of  city  planning. 

Raleigh 

North  Carolina 

Raleigh  (20,127)  had  a  city  planning  survey  and  report 
by  Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  ot  Rochester,  New  York, 
in  I9'I3.  The  money  for  this  report  was  raised  by  the 
City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Civics  Department  of 
the  Women's  Club  of  Raleigh.  In  taking  up  his  study,  Mr. 
Robinson  points  to  two  antithetical  conditions:  one  is  the 
rapid  growth  of  the  city  at  the  present  time,  due  to  both 
public  and  private  initiative,  and  the  other,  the  restric- 
tive character  of  the  city's  charter  and  ordinances,  and 
the  evident  backwardness  in  some  features  ot  city  admin- 
istration. In  reporting  on  the  results  of  his  investigation, 
he  divides  his  findings  into  two  parts:  (i)  the  improve- 
ment of  the  city  that  is,  and  (2)  the  preparation  for  the 
city  that  will  be.  His  report,  a  document  of  loo-pages,  is 
especially  valuable  in  its  discussion  of  the  details  of  the 
city  plan.  A  great  many  of  the  suggestions  made  by  Mr. 
Robinson  have  already  been  carried  out.  Raleigh  has 
now  a  City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, of  which  R.  E.  Seawell  is  chairman.  It  is  particu- 
larly active  in  the  study  of  transportation  problems.    A 


CnV   PLANNING   PKUCiRESS 


151 


bill  is  now  before  the  state  legislature,  which  is  certain  to 
be   adopted,    for    city    planning    commissions    in    cities 

throughout  North  Carolina. 

Reading 

Pennsylvania 

Reading  (109,381)  is  the  third  city  in  the  Keystone 
State  in  industrial  records,  being  outranked  only  by 
Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh;  it  is  fourth  in  population, 
Scranton  only  ranking  aheaii  on  this  point. 

The  Commission. — Its  planning  commission  of  five 
citizens  was  appointed  March  II,  1914,  and  took  office 
April  2,  1914,  so  that  it  has  served  nearlv  three  years. 
It  has  made  comparatively  few  formal  recommendations 
tor  vast  projects,  but  has  busied  itselt  with  informing  the 
taxpayers  about  practical  details  which  can  be  carried 
out  at  small  cost.  It  has  asked  the  people  to  consider  the 
value  of  public  improvements  in  terms  of  mills,  not  mil- 
lions. It  showed  how,  far  from  being  an  expensive  official 
body,  its  administrative  work,  it  continued  at  the  same 
average  rate  ot  expense  per  year  until  1924,  or  an  entire 
ten  years,  would  aggregate  one  cent  per  inhabitant.  No 
one  has  sought  to  accuse  the  Commission  ot  extravagance 
since  that  statement  was  uttered. 

Work  oj  the  Commission. — Its  first  recommendation  to 
be  approved  by  Council  and  carried  into  effect  was  the 
mstallation  of  a  uniform  system  of  parking  along  Centre 
Avenue,  the  city's  most  beautiful  residential  thorough- 
fare. From  this  the  public  learned  that  the  Commis- 
sion's recommendation  had  not  only  beautified  the  avenue, 
saved  the  trees,  and  resulted  in  uniform  8-inch  cement 
coping  being  installed,  but  had  saved  the  taxpayers 
J1.88  for  every  step  of  the  way  along  the  whole  improve- 
ment. The  fact  that  resetting  sewer  inlets  to  meet  the 
new  curb-line  cost  something  additional  did  not  alter  the 
good  impression  in  the  public  mind,  but  only  emphasized 
that  if  all  improvements  are  carried  out  at  one  time,  the 
taxpayer  profits  more  than  in  piecemeal  work. 

Parks. — The  Commission's  first  and  main  project  is  a 
riverfront  park  along  the  entire  Schuykill  River  frontage. 
Though  officiallv  nothing  has  been  done  by  the  Council 
to  adopt  this  plan,  the  city  has  received  from  private 
donors  two  fine  strips  ot  riverfront  land  north  of  the  city 
and  has  condemned  another  section  nearby,  while  other 
portions  have  been  given  under  certain  conditions  of 
municipal  improvement  within  five  years.  The  Commis- 
sion has  pending  before  Council  its  recommendations  for 
the  city  planning  ot  a  newly  annexed  section  of  1,164 
acres,  including  a  monumental  new  bridge  and  southern 
plaza  entrance  to  the  city. 

Transportation. — Grade  crossing  elimination  and  bridge 
consideration  have  been  under  the  direction  of  the  State 
Public  Service  Commission.  Transit  problems  were 
studied  locally  for  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  by  John 
P.  Fox,  traffic  expert,  of  New  York,  who  submitted  his 
views  in  a  report  published  in  1916. 

The  Original  Plan. — The  city  of  Reading  celebrated 
its  sesquicentennial  in  1898.  ."Although  one  of  the  oldest 
American  cities,  it  did  not  grow  casually  or  without 
direction,   like   so   many   old    towns,  but    was   definitely 


planned  in  the  beginning,  and  its  present  plan  is  merely  a 
mechanical  extension  of  the  original.  The  first  "town 
plan"  of  Reading  was  made  in  1748  by  Nicholas  Scull, 
the  surveyor-general  of  Thomas  ami  Richard  Penn,  who 
were  the  sons  of  William  Penn.  That  plan  bears  a  strik- 
ing similarity  to  William  Penn's  "Plan  tor  I'liiladelphia." 
It  provideil  tor  two  mam  streets  of  extra  width  at  right 


i(i;tTx-'\ 

I'm:  ■■  -  :'l 

"  ■m.-hmi-t--      ' 


Re.41)Ing. — General  Plan  Proposed  by  the  Civic  .Association, 
in  1908,  tor  the  Improvement  of  the  City. 

Reading  was  definitely  planned  for  the  sons  of  William  Penn, 
founder  and  planner  of  Philadelphia,  in  1748.  The  original  plan 
had  little  to  commend  it.  The  present  City  Planning  Commis- 
sion is  energetically  working  to  solve  the  problems  of  the  older 
districts  and  to  protect  newer  sections  against  a  repetition  of  the 
mistakes  made  in  the  early  days  of  the  city. 

angles  to  each  other,  a  central  square,  and  a  location  of 
some  distinction  for  the  courthouse,  the  only  public 
building  at  the  time,  and  for  markets.  The  unyiekling 
and  ugly  rectangular  system  ot  streets,  which  is  so  char- 
acteristic of  Philadelphia,  was  reproduced  at  Reading, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that,  while  the  site  of  Phila- 
delphia is  comparatively  flat,  that  in  Reading  is  hilly, 
with  surroundings  that  warrant  the  term  "mountainous," 
but  the  admirable  feature  ot  open  green  spaces  at  regular 
intervals,  which  Penn  provided  tor,  is  altogether  lacking 
in  the  plan  tor  Reacting. 

Civic  Association  Report. — In  1910,  John  Nolen,  of 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  was  engaged  to  prepare  a  plan  for  the 
city  by  the  Civic  A.ssociation  of  Reading.  Mr.  Nolen 
presented  his  report  in  a  volume  entitled  "Replanning 
Reading."  He  treats  of  the  major  features  of  the  city 
plan  and  devotes  several  successive  chapters  to  a  discus- 
sion of  such  matters  as  the  city  center  anil  its  develop- 


I 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


iiicnt  aliout  Fciiii  Square,  tlic  location  of  public  and  semi- 
pulilic  luiildings,  the  planning  of  boulevards  and  main 
arteries,  of  playgrounds  and  parks,  the  improvement  ot 
the  homes  of  the  people,  and  concludes  with  urgent 
definite  recommendations.  Unquestionably,  the  report 
of  Mr.  Nolen  has  done  much  to  educate  the  people  ot 
Reading  in  the  meaning  and  importance  ot  city  planning 
and  thereby  enabling  them  to  cope  with  the  problems  that 
the  City  Planning  Commission  is  now  investigating  and 
for  which  thev  are  making  plans  and  recommendations. 

Richmond 

Virginia 

There  has  never  been  a  city  planning  committee  or 
commission  in  Richmond  (156,687).  The  streets,  parks, 
and  playgrounds  are  in  charge  of  the  administrative  board, 
and  the  planning  work  is  in  the  hands  of  the  City  Engineer. 
But  Mayor  George  Ainslie  has  given  strong  support  to 
city  planning  and  was  instrumental  in  having  the  American 
Citv  Bureau's  city  planning  exhibit  there  about  two 
years  ago. 

Very  effective  housmg  work  has  been  done  by  Gustavus 
A.  Weber,  secretary  ot  the  Society  tor  the  Betterment  ot 
Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  Richmond,  ot  which  F. 
Randolph  Williams  is  president.  Mr.  Weber  presented  a 
valuable  survey  and  report  on  housing  and  living  con- 
ditions in  Richmond  in  October,  1913. 

Richmond  is  in  a  transitional  stage.  It  is  becoming  a 
large  city,  perhaps  a  tuture  metropolis  ot  the  South.  With 
this  growth,  new  civic  problems  and  responsibilities,  such 
as  its  citizens  have  never  taced  before,  are  coming  to  the 
front.  The  density  ot  population,  in  particular,  is  excessive. 

Owing  to  the  large  blocks  in  some  sections  ot  Richmond, 
the  lots  are  so  deep  that  much  land-space  is  taken  up  in 
large  back  yards  which  might  be  shortened.  In  such  cases, 
it  minor  streets  were  run  through  the  blocks,  building 
frontage  would  be  doubled  and,  by  the  erection  of  shallow 
two-story  houses  of  two,  or  at  the  most,  three  rooms  deep, 
there  would  be  plenty  of  air  and  light  and  much  better 
conditions  could  be  maintained.  It  the  private  land-space 
was  thus  economically  utilized,  the  actual  population 
within  the  present  limits  of  Richmond  could  be  very 
materially  increased  without  necessarily  overcrowding. 

The  problem  of  betterment  of  housing  and  living  con- 
ditions in  Richmond  can  be  effectively  dealt  with  as  Mr. 
Weber  points  out: 

1.  By    arousing    public    sentiment    and    appealing    to 

civic  pride,  so  that  citizens  may  do  their  part  in 
keeping  the  streets,  alleys,  back  yards,  and  other 
exposed  places  clean  and  free  from  rubbish. 

2.  By  enacting  and  enforcing  model  housing  laws  and 

better  regulations  tor  the  maintenance  of  clean 
streets  and  alleys  and  the  removal  and  disposal 
ot  rubbish. 

3.  By  making  liberal  appropriations  for  the  completion 

of  the  water  and  sewerage  system,  the  extension 
of  the  street  paving,  and  for  the  enforcement  of 
housing,  street-cleaning,  and  other  sanitary  laws 
and  regulations. 


4.  By  providing  proper  and  adequate  housing  accom- 
modations for  the  working  people. 

Roanoke 

Virginia 

.As  a  guide  tor  the  broader  phases  ot  city  planning  in 
Roanoke  (43,284)  the  city  plan  submitted  by  John  Nolen 
in  1907  is  serving  a  very  usetui  purpose.  It  is  embodied 
in  a  report  entitled  "Remodeling  Roanoke,"  submitted 
to  the  Civic  Betterment  Club  along  with  another  report 
covering  the  sanitary  features  ot  the  city  plan  by  C.  E. 
Emerson,  Jr.,  and  Ezra  B.  Whitman,  of  Baltimore.  Mr. 
Nolen's  recommendations  are  intended  to  be  merely  tenta- 
tive, as  no  complete  data  was  secured  on  which  to  base 
final  conclusions.  The  chief  recommendations  mentioned 
in  the  report  are:  the  widening  of  main  streets  in  the  cen- 
tral district,  the  grouping  ot  public  buildings,  the  more 
rational  arrangement  of  city  streets,  and  the  preservation 
ot  the  most  valuable  and  beautiful  of  the  natural  landscape 
teatures  of  the  district. 

T/ie  Opporlunity. — Charmingly  situated  on  a  high 
plateau,  1,000  teet  above  the  sea,  Roanoke  is  surrounded 
at  a  convenient  distance  by  the  glorious  peaks  ot  the 
Blue  Ridge  Mountains.  The  climate  is  unusually  agree- 
able— the  summers  cool,  the  winters  mild,  the  air  always 
invigorating.  The  center  of  the  city  is  topographically 
well  adapted  for  business,  and  the  outskirts  are  admirably 
fitted  tor  residential  districts;  but,  notwithstanding  its 
superior  natural  advantages,  Roanoke  is  today,  in  common 
with  most  .'American  cities,  plain,  commonplace,  and,  in 
some  localities,  distinctly  unsightly.  Her  people  are  now, 
however,  reaching  that  stage  where  an  active  interest  in 
city  planning  and  housing  is  developing.  The  secretary 
ot  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce,  John  Wood,  is  interested 
in  the  further  development  ot  Roanoke's  city  plan. 

Rochester 

New  York 

Rochester  (256,417)  is  exceptionally  agreeable  as  com- 
pared with  many  .American  cities  of  its  size;  it  is  both  pros- 
perous and  growing.  Its  park  equipment  of  1,634  acres  is 
a  remarkably  admirable  one.  There  is  much  to  be  proud 
of  in  the  way  of  local  street  development,  of  which  there 
are  many  splendid  examples.  A  high  standard  ot  living, 
together  with  a  correspondingly  high  standard  ot  efficiency 
in  work,  are  certainly  illustrated  in  the  industrial  history 
of  the  city,  but  just  because  it  is  prosperous  and  growing, 
those  interested  in  city  planning  have  sought  to  bring 
about  action  that  will  adequately  meet  the  changing  con- 
ditions torced  upon  it  by  its  growth.  In  1908  a  group  ot 
public-spirited  citizens  was  organized,  under  the  auspices 
ot  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  into  the  Rochester  Civic 
Improvement  Committee,  of  which  Charles  Multord 
Robinson  has  served  continuously  as  secretary.  .Approxi- 
mately 914,000  was  raised  by  private  subscription  for  the 
purpose  ot  conducting  a  study  of  Rochester's  city  plan- 
ning problems  and  for  making  preliminary  suggestions  in 
regard    to    them.     Arnold    W.    Brunner,   of    New    York, 


CITY   PLANNIN(i    PRCXJRKSS 


153 


I'Vederick  Law  OlmstcJ,  ot  Brciiikliiic,  ami  Hion  J.  Arnoiil, 
of  Chicago,  were  employed  to  undertake  these  studies  and 
to  submit  a  report.  After  an  extended  study  by  these 
experts,  a  report  was  submitted  which  contained  recom- 
mendations and  suggestions  dealing,  first,  with  certain 
specific  improvements,  more  or  less  in  the  central  part  ot" 
the  city;  second,  with  the  general  question  ot"  improvinu 
the  street  system  of  the  city,  illustrated  by  a  number 
of  specific  suggestions;  and,  third,  with  the  question  of 
public  lands  other  than  highways,  especially  those  to  be 
used  tor  park  purposes,   also   illustrateti  liv   a  number  of 


^4 


-<%ia 


Rochester. — Proposed  Civic  Center. 

specific  suggestions.  The  result  of  the  work  of  the  Roches- 
ter Improvement  Committee  in  thus  presenting  a  plan  tor 
the  guidance  ot  the  city's  growth  was  mainly  to  create  a 
broader  vision  and  more  definiteness  in  community  ideals. 
The  Commission. — But  the  city  has  gone  further  than 
this  by  adopting,  in  1916,  a  City  Planning  Ordinance  for  a 
city  plan  commission  composed  of  city  officials.  This 
Commission  has  not  yet  undertaken  the  preparation  ot  a 
comprehensive  plan.  Moreover,  on  September  i,  1916,  the 
Bureau  ot  Mimicipal  Research  ot  Rochester  adopted  a 
resolution  otFernig  to  cooperate  with  the  Mayor  and  City 
Council  in  arranging  a  program  for  the  creation  of  a 
"Permanent  City  Planning  Commission,"  whose  person- 
nel, not  entirely  made  up  of  ex-officio  members,  should 
provide  continuity  of  policy  and  special  planning 
knowledge. 

Rockford 

Illinois 

A  Planning  Committee  was  organized  by  the  Chamber 
ot  Commerce  of  Rockford  (55,185)  in  April,  1915.  The 
sum  ot  S5,ioo  was  raised  by  general  subscription.  The 
.American  Park  Builders'  .Association  was  engaged  to  dratt 
plans  for  a  system  of  parks,  boulevards,  and  parkways  and 
is  now  at  work  studying  the  problem.  Rocktord  has  two 
public  markets,  open  during  the  summer  months  only, 
and  the  city  is  making  its  plans  now  for  the  elimination 
ot  grade  crossings  and  for  a  new  union  station.  \n  attempt 
is  being  made  to  secure  a  new  street  railway  franchise 
giving  the  city  new  trackage  and  service.  Two  new 
bridges  are  now  being  built  and  another  is  in  view.  A 
building  ordinance  is  being  urged,  which  will  give  the  city 
more  adequate  control  over  the  development  ot  private 


property,  (ieorge  1).  Rojier  is  president  of  the  Planning 
Committee  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  William  H. 
Kulton  is  secretary.  The  president  of  the  Rock  Island 
Park  District  is  Levin  Faust. 

Rock    Lslaiitl 

I  llllKll.S 

With  rive  parks  quite  carefull)  planned,  f<jur  play- 
grounds, a  paved  levee  for  commerce  along  the  riverfront, 
and  partial  ornamental  lighting  in  the  business  area,  Rock 
Island's  (28,926)  civic  improvement  and  city  planning 
endeavor  are  summed  up.  The  .secretary  of  the  Rock 
Island  Club  is  interested  in  the  planning  and  develop- 
ment of  the  city. 

Rome 

New  ^'ork 

.A  City  Planning  Commission  was  appointed  in  Rcjnic 
(23.737)  in  '9'4>  under  authority  of  the  City  Council.  A 
small  appropriation  has  been  allowed  each  year  for  office 
expenses.  The  Commission  has  had  no  opportunity  to 
do  any  large  work  in  planning  and  has  served  merely  as 
an  advisory  body,  giving  its  attention  to  details  of  the  city 
plan.  K.  M.  Potter  is  chairman,  and  Moss  Kent  is  secre- 
tary. The  Chamber  ot  Commerce  ot  Rome  has  been 
cooperating  with  the  Commission.  The  latter  has  been 
instrumental  in  the  preparation  of  a  modern  building  code 
and  has  made  a  few  suggestions  looking  to  the  improve- 
ment and  extension  of  the  parks  of  Rome. 

Transit  and  Transportation. — A  Chamber  of  Commerce 
committee  is  now  at  work  with  the  Common  Council 
Committee  on  Public  Retail  Markets.  .Another  committee 
is  working  out  a  plan  with  the  trolley  company  for  a 
general  rerouting  and  rescheduling  of  their  lines.  With 
the  barge  canal  harbor  at  Rome  complete,  the  Chamber 
ot  Commerce  committee  is  laying  out  a  plan  for  terminal 
tacilities  to  be  placed  in  operation  during  1917.  The  same 
body  is  dratting  a  scheme  tor  a  community  house. 

Rome  has  two  large  city  playgrounds,  put  in  operation 
several  years  ago,  and  has  just  completed  another  one. 

Housing. — The  Rome  Brass  and  Copper  Company  has 
just  completed  a  plan  tor  a  model  workingmen's  village, 
providing  comtortable  and  attractive  living  quarters  at  a 
rent  well  within  the  means  of  their  employees.  -Special 
inducements  are  given  to  those  who  wish  to  purchase  their 
property.  The  Standard  Buildings,  Incorporated,  of  N'ew 
York,  have  been  employed  to  build  the  village,  in  coopera- 
tion with  Mann  &  McNeille,  architects,  of  New  York, 
who  have  charge  of  the  design.  The  streets  are  laid  out 
in  a  picturesque  way,  and  playgrounds  for  children  and 
parking  places  tor  decorative  shrubs  and  other  plantint; 
are  provided. 

Sacramento 

California 

The  moderm  period  of  city  planning  in  Sacramento 
(66,895)  W''*  inaugurated  by  a  series  of  five  town  planning 
lectures  given  by  Prof.  Charles  Zueblin,  under  the  aus- 


154 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRKSS 


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CITY  OF  SACRAMENTO 

Prelimih\ry  ciri- planning  studies 

JOHN    NOLEN      CITY    PLANNER 
CAMBHIDGE   MA55 

PROPOSED  BLOCKS  &LOT5  IN  ANNEXED  TERRITORY 


Cour/csv'  The  Ami:r\<:an  Cily 

Sacramento. — A  Proposed  Solution  of  a  Problem  in  Land  Suhtlivision.    Dinit;n!>ions  of  Blocks,  Width  of  Streets,  and  Size  of  Lots 
Mutually  Dependent. 


pices  of  the  Women's  Council.  As  a  result,  an  organiza- 
tion of  business  men  was  effected  which  secured,  in  1908, 
from  Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  of  Rochester,  a  city 
planning  report.  Due  largely  to  the  newspaper  campaign 
that  followed  Mr.  Robinson's  report,  Sacramento  acquired 
one  of  its  best  assets  from  a  city  planning  standpoint,  Del 
Paso  Park,  of  over  800  acres. 

Chamber  of  Commerce  Report. — Mr.  Robinson's  report 
was  earnestly  studied  by  an  ever-widening  group  of  citi- 
zens.   The  Chamber  of  Commerce  took  the  leadership  in 


crystalizing  the  growing  sentiment  tor  a  definite  city  plan. 
The  first  step  was  to  secure  the  advice  of  Dr.  Werner 
Hegeman,  of  Berlin.  His  coming  was  of  great  value,  not 
only  to  Sacramento,  but  to  all  California.  His  recom- 
inendation  to  Sacramento  was  to  undertake  an  educa- 
tional campaign,  including  systematic  newspaper  pub- 
licity through  short,  newsy  paragraphs,  with  a  view  to 
teaching  all  the  citizens  the  benefits  of  city  planning. 
The  expenses  of  bringing  Dr.  Hegeman  to  Sacramento 
were  met  by  a  group  of  private  citizens.   The  city  govern- 


CITY   PLANNING    PROCJRKSS 


!<;<; 


ment  at  that  time  would  not  approve  as  little  as  J25  for 
what  they  considered  a  visionary  matter. 

The  Campaign. — In  accordance  with  Dr.  Hegcman's 
suggestions,  a  city  planning  committee  of  150  was  organ- 
ized by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  These  were  divided 
into  fifteen  groups  ot  ten  people  each,  and  each  group 
tackled  some  job  that  could  be  connected  with  the  wortl 
"city  planning."  This  meant  practically  daily  meetings 
at  the  Chamber  of  Cf)mmerce  of  at  least  one  group.  The 
papers  were  supplied  with  stories  of  work  actually  accom- 
plished bv  these  groups  as  the  work  progressed.  Its  aim 
was,  within  three  years,  to  so  create  public  sentiment 
favorable  to  city  planning  that  the  City  Commissioners, 
who  had  hitherto  refused  to  spend  any  public  money  on 
city  planning,  might  be  induced  to  engage  an  expert  for 
the  drafting  of  a  definite  city  plan. 

The  Adoption  of  the  Plan. — Before  a  year  was  over,  the 
city  made  a  contract  with  John  Nolen,  of  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  for  a  complete  city  plan.  From  the  time  of  the 
filing  of  Mr.  Nolen's  preliminary  report  on  the  city  plan, 
efforts  were  made  repeatedly  by  members  of  the  State 
Capital  Planning  Commission,  which  was  appointed  about 
this  time  by  Governor  Johnson,  to  get  the  City  Commis- 
sioners of  Sacramento  to  adopt  the  Nolen  plan.  It  was 
not,  however,  until  the  crisis  was  precipitated  by  the 
threatened  invasion  of  a  high-grade  residence  district  by  a 
manufacturing  plant  that  the  City  Commissioners  were 
moved  to  act.  Residents  of  this  section  appealed  to  the 
State  Capital  Planning  Commission,  as  well  as  to  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  committee  of  150,  to  join  them  in  a 
forceful  request  to  the  City  Commissioners  ot  Sacramento 
that  the  Nolen  plan  be  immediately  adopted  to  settle 
this  question  of  municipal  zones.  On  the  day  the  request 
was  made,  the  Nolen  plan  was  written  into  the  city  stat- 
utes by  a  unanimous  vote. 

The  Value  of  Publicity. — In  Sacramento  the  people 
are  convinced  that  the  way  to  get  started  in  city  planning 
is  primarily  to  enlist  newspaper  support  by  supplying 
short  stories  which  keep  the  actual  accomplishments  ot 
the  city  planning  group  before  the  public.  The  notable 
accomplishment  is  the  making  of  the  Nolen  plan  a  part  of 
the  municipal  law.  Certainly  Sacramento  is  the  first  city 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  if  not  the  first  city  in  the  country,  to 
do  this.  Copies  of  the  report  of  the  State  Capital  Plan- 
ning Commission,  describing  in  detail  the  various  steps 
above  outlined,  may  be  had  by  writing  the  State  Librarian, 
Sacramento,  Cal. 

San  Jose 

California 

Situated  in  one  of  the  most  fertile  and  beautiful  val- 
leys, with  mountains  seeming  to  close  it  on  three  sides, 
within  easy  commuting  distance  of  San  Francisco,  San 
Jose  (,38,902)  has  exceptional  opportunities.  In  fact,  it  is 
a  common  saying  in  San  Jose  that  "Nature  has  done  much 
for  us,"  but  as  Charles  Mulford  Robinson  says  in  his 
report  of  1909  to  the  Outdoor  Art  League  of  San  Jose, 
"Nature  has  done  much,  but  the  people  have  done 
little.  ...  To  make  San  Jose  attractive  is  work  for  her 
own  citizens,  which  Nature  will  not  do  for  them." 

Beautifying  San  Jose. — Mr.  Robinson's  report,  which 


was  submitted  in  1909,  is  called  "The  Beautifying  of  San 
Jose,"  and  deals  mainly  with  details  of  the  city  plan, 
although  there  is  a  section  on  the  better  planning  of  the 
city's  streets  and  on  the  planning  of  arterial  routes  con- 
necting with  the  surrounding  country. 

.i  Conimi.'.iion  ./ppoinleil. — The  opportunities  for 
civic  improvement  ami  planning  in  a  big  way  for  the 
future  commercial  and  industrial  lite  of  the  city  are  well 
understood  by  the  city  manager,  Thomas  R.  Reed,  who 
was  recently  installed  under  a  new  and  progressive  charter, 
and  who  appointed  a  City  Planning  Commission  on 
September  15,  1916.  The  City  Council  has  appropriated 
?2,ooo  for  the  current  fiscal  year  to  provide  for  the  work  of 
the  Commission.  The  problems  which  have  been  studied 
or  solved  to  date  include  the  relocation  of  the  railroad 
right-ot-way,  the  separation  of  grade  crossings,  the  district- 
ing of  the  city,  and  the  establishment  ot  building  set-back 
lines.  The  Commission  is  working  on  an  onlinance  for  the 
control  of  street  tree  and  border  planting.  .\  campaign 
tor  the  issuance  ot  $1,500,000  in  bonds,  to  proviiie  for 
street  and  road  paving,  is  being  carried  on  at  this  writing. 
The  rerouting  and  rescheduling  of  street-car  lines  is  now 
under  way. 

The  City  Phinnmg  Commission  is  laying  out  a  program 
for  the  preparation  ot  a  comprehensive  city  plan. 

Joseph  T.  Brooks,  secretary  of  the  Chamber  ot  Com- 
merce, and  William  Bintier,  member  ot  the  .American 
Institute  of  .Architects,  are  supporting  the  work  ot  the 
City  Planning  Commission. 


^^^^SC^fl^HuU  '  ^^S^^OlHw^^f^rTnHTnpTT^r  ^^^^^^^^^^^^n 


.San   Jcim:.  —A  \Mt;itii 


Saginaw 

Michigan 


planning    and    civic 
is   so   meager   as   to 


Our    report    on    general    city 
improvement   in    Saginaw    (55,642) 

indicate  that  the  city  has  actually  accomplished  very 
little  in  providing  for  community  welfare  and  for  the 
future  expansion  of  the  city.  Most  actively  interested  in 
providing  improved  dwellings  for  workingmen  is  F,.  C. 
Mershon;  in  developing  parks,  boulevards  and  play- 
grounds, W.  S.  Ijnton  anil  Miss  Kate  Carlisle;  in  organizing 
community  centers.  Dr.  \V.  F.  F.nglish;  and  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  comprehensive  plan,  the  Saginaw  Boarii  of  Trade. 

St.  Joseph 

Missouri 

St.   Joseph    (85,2,36),  familiarly   known   as  St.   Joe,  is 
one   of   the   oldest   of   the   midwestern    cities.     First   an 


u6 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Indian  trading-post,  then  an  oiittitting  station  tor  Forty- 
niners,  then  the  eastern  terminus  ot"  the  famous  Pony 
Express,  it  became  definitely  linked  to  communities 
farther  east  when  the  first  railroad  built  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi fixed  its  western  terminus  at  St.  Joseph.  From 
an  outfitting  center  the  transition  into  a  wholesale  center 
was  both  easy  and  rapid,  and  this  continues  as  one  ot  the 
chief  activities  of  the  city.  Under  the  pressure  of  rapidly 
expanding  and  increasing  population,  the  Commerce 
Club  is  endeavoring  to  arouse  interest  in  city  planning. 

Parks. — The  nearest  to  comprehensive  planning  ot  any 
sort  that  has  been  done  is  the  work  of  the  Park  Board, 
an  otiiciai  organization  first  appointed  in  1890,  of  which 
Milton  Tootle  is  president.  The  Board  has  the  power  to 
levy  taxes  for  improving  and  maintaining  parks  and  boule- 
vards. For  a  city  of  its  size,  the  present  acreage  ot  parks, 
100,  and  the  miles  ot  boulevard  too,  are  a  very  small  per- 
centage of  the  total  required.  Realizing  this  shortcom- 
ing, the  Park  Board  has  engaged  the  services  of  a  land- 
scape architect  to  prepare  a  comprehensive  plan. 

Transportalion. — Studies  are  now  being  made  tor 
cooperative  terminals  and  for  the  elimination  ot  grade 
crossings.  The  city  has  now  five  general  terminals  and  a 
union  passenger  station.  The  city  is  also  contemplating 
the  development  of  the  waterfront,  of  which  it  owns  a 
considerable  section. 


in  the  appointment  ot  a  Public  Building  Commission 
which  made  its  investigations  and  prepared  a  report  con- 
taining illustrated  plans  for  an  elaborate  and  dignified 
group  ot  buildings,  including  a  citv  hall  and  proposed 
public  library. 

Civic  League  Report. — This  was  followed  in  1907  by  the 
Civic  League's  appointment  ot  a  committee  to  prepare  a 
city  plan  for  St.  Louis.  After  eighteen  months  of  serious 
labor,  the  Committee  issued  their  report  containing  recom- 
mendations tor  the  grouping  ot  public  buildings,  for  the 
creation  ot  neighborhood  centers,  for  an  extensive  inner 
and  outer  park  system,  and  unique  plans  for  a  riverfront 


I 


.Si.  I, cm  |v. — Diagram m.-itic  Scheme  ot  .'\rterial  Thumuyhtares. 


St.  Louis 

Missouri 

St.  Louis  (757,309)  dates  her  municipal  renaissance 
from  the  days  of  the  World's  Fair  in  1904.  Her  citizens 
saw  in  the  Exposition  a  model  city,  with  its  magnificent 
group  plan,  its  clean  streets,  its  quietness  and  culture — a 
strange  contrast  to  the  city  on  its  borders.  Before  1900, 
civic  spirit  was  at  its  lowest  ebb,  but,  with  the  Exposition, 
a  new  spirit  asserted  itself.  Before  the  gates  ot  the  Exposi- 
tion had  closed,  the  agitation  was  begun  tor  a  plan  pro- 
viding for  the  grouping  of  public  buildings.    This  resulted 


plaza.  This  plan  was  enthusiastically  received  and  is 
serving  as  a  basis  for  many  suggested  improvements. 

Results. — One  year  later  (1908)  followed  a  bond  issue 
of  111,500,000  for  public  improvements,  many  of  which 
were  recommended  in  the  city  plan  report. 

City  Plan  Association. — During  the  winter  of  1909,  a 
number  of  citizens  formed  themselves  into  a  voluntary 
organization  called  the  City  Plan  .Association,  and  sub- 
mitted a  report  in  the  fall  of  191  I,  the  chief  feature  of 
which  was  a  suggestion  tor  a  broad  parkway  leading  west 
from  the  business  to  the  residential  district. 

City  Plan  Commission. — This  .'Association  disbanded 
upon  the  creation  of  an  official  City  Plan  Commission  in 


St.  Louis. — Proposed  Development  in  Forest  Park,  with  the  -Art  Museum  as  the  Focal  Point. 


CITY    PLAWINC;    PkCXiKKSS 


>  / 


T911.  This  latter  Commission  t'lirthcr  developed  the  cen- 
tral parkway  project  without  making  an  effort  to  perfect  a 
comprehensive  city  plan.  It  was  through  the  stutiics  ot 
city  conditions  made  by  the  disinterestetl  architects  ot' 
St.  Louis  that  the  discovery  was  maiie  that  the  park- 
way scheme  was  out  ot  relation  with  the  probable  future 
direction  which  a  comprehensive  plan  would  take.  The 
St.  Louis  Chapter  of  the  .American  Institute  of  .Archi- 
tects, after  a  very  thorough  discussion,  determined  that, 
in  the  light  of  what  they  knew  from  the  studies  which  had 
been  made,  it  could  not  endorse  the  Commission's  scheme, 
and  the  effect  ot  their  stand  was  reflected  by  the  deteat  at 
the  polls  ot  the  parkway  project. 

Citizens'  City  P/ii>i?ii>ig  Committee. — Immediately  after 
the  parkway  project  was  shelved,  the  architects  determined 
that  it  was  the  duty  ot  the  profession  to  give  constructive 
aid  in  such  future  planning  work  as  the  official  Commis- 
sion might  undertake.    A  Citizens'  City  Planning  Com- 


St.  Louis. — A  Plan  lor  the  Realization  ot  a  Practical  Thor- 
oughfare System. 

mittee  was  organized,  with  Luther  Ely  Smith,  attornev- 
at-law,  as  the  leading  spirit,  to  promote  and  popularize 
the  work  of  the  official  Commission.  The  local  Chapter 
ot  the  American  Institute  ot  .Architects  also  appointed  .1 
City  Planning  Committee,  and  these  committees  have 
worked  with  the  official  Commission.  Owing  to  the  tact 
that  the  city  was  not  prepared  to  provide  funds  tor  the 
investigations  on  city  planning,  which  it  was  felt  should 
precede  further  work,  the  Chapter  of  the  American 
Institute  of  Architects  and  the  Citizens'  City  Planning 
Committee,  jointly  provided  funds  necessary  to  engage  a 
competent  investigator  and  engineer,  and  Harland  Bar- 
tholomew, who  had  formerly  been  the  secretary  and  en- 
gineer ot  the  City  Planning  Commission  of  Newark,  N.  J., 
was  engaged  for  this  purpose. 

T/ie  Commission's  Work. — The  City  Plan  Commis- 
sion has  now  been  working  with  Mr.  Bartholomew  and 
with  the  various  non-official  organizations  for  over  a  year 
and  a  half,  and,  in  1916  it  received  from  the  city  an 
appropriation  of  ^15,000.  It  has  devoted  itself  to  the 
study  of  a  number  of  specific  projects  that  will  ultimately 
articulate  with  a  comprehensive  plan  tor  the  future  city. 
One  of  its  most  recent  and  valuable  contributions  is  the 
plan  for  the  treatment  of  the  River  des  Peres,  which  was 

St.  Loiis. — Plan  of  Proposed  Development  in  Forest  Park, 
Showing  .Art  Museum,  .Amphitheater,  Grand  Basin,  River  des 
Peres,  Grand  Canal,  and  Louisiana  Purchase  Monument. 


1^8 


CI'I'Y   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


published  in  a  report  the  latter  part  ot  1916.  This  stream, 
which  meanders  through  the  western  and  southwestern 
portions  of  the  city,  has  long  proved  a  menace  to  health 
and  an  eyesore,  and  it  has  held  back  the  development  ot  a 
large  district  through  which  it  runs.  The  Commission's 
plan  provides  tor  the  restoration  of  the  river  banks  and 
the  construction  ot  driveways  thereon;  the  removal  of 
sewage  from  the  river  by  the  construction  of  an  intercept- 
ing sewer;  the  provision  of  sites  for  industries  linked  up  by  a 
belt-line  railway;  and  the  proper  articulation  ot  the  street 
system  of  the  new  district  with  the  thoroughfares  leading 
to  the  heart  of  the  city.  The  total  outlay  involved  amounts 
to  $8,000,000.  The  plan  has  received  the  endorsement  ot 
the  city  government.  .Another  important  work  on  which 
the  Commission  is  engaged  is  that  dealing  with  the  main 
arterial  street  system,  for  which  it  is  now  making  exten- 
sive traffic  counts.  It  has  just  started  zoning  work. 
St.  Louis  is  now  well  embarked  on  a  program  of  city 
planning  that  insures  the  ultimate  realization  of  a  logical, 
cohesive  city  plan,  looking  to  the  needs  of  the  future. 

Louis  La  Beaume,  member  of  the  Committee  on  Town 
Planning  ot  the  .'\merican  Institute  of  .'Architects,  repre- 
sented the  architectural  profession  on  the  official  City 
Planning  Commission  up  to  the  present  year.  E.  J.  Rus- 
sell, also  a  member  of  the  Institute's  Committee  on  Town 
Planning,  has  succeeded  Mr.  La  Beaume. 

While  not  a  part  of  the  work  of  the  City  Planning  Com- 
mission, the  project,  now  practically  assured  of  execution, 
for  the  reclamation  of  a  portion  of  the  World's  Fair 
development  in  Forest  Park,  illustrated  herewith,  is  of 
special  interest  in  a  survey  ot  Saint  Louis'  civic  advance. 
The  scheme  is  the  conception  of  Nelson  Cunliff,  Com- 
missioner ot  Parks  and  Recreation,  and  has  been  planned 
by  Cass  Gilbert,  architect,  of  New  York. 


St.  Paul 

Minnesota 

Various  movements  have  occurred  in  St.  Paul  (247,- 
2J2)  in  the  decade  just  past,  backed  by  civic  organiza- 
tions in  the  city,  toward  realizing  certain  desirable  or 
much-needed  improvements  in  the  city  plan.  One  of  the 
most  notable  of  these  was  that  which  had  as  its  object  the 
planning  of  adequate  approaches  to  the  new  State  Capitol 
building,  erected  in  190J  by  the  Commonwealth  of  Minne- 
sota as  its  official  home.  It  was  at  a  popular  meeting  held 
at  the  Commercial  Club  on  December  12,  1903,  that  the 
first  tentative  suggestions  for  adequate  approaches  were 
presented,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  the  zeal  of  the  Com- 
mercial Club  that  an  official  Capitol  Approaches  Com- 
mission was  appointed  by  resolution  of  the  Common 
Council  ot  February  9,  191 6.  That  Commission  labored 
continuously  for  several  years,  and,  in  1910,  with  the 
advice  and  counsel  of  Cass  Gilbert,  the  architect  of  the 
Capitol,  a  plan  was  submitted  involving  the  creation  of  an 
entirely  new  boulevard  or  great  mall  leading  to  Capitol 
Hill,  and  at  right  angles  to  the  main  entrance,  extending 
from  a  point  of  great  general  traffic,  now  known  as 
"Seven  Corners."  About  midway  between  the  Capitol 
and  the  starting-point,  the  boulevard  passed  through  a 
great  square  formed  by  the  converging  of  several  streets, 
in  the  center  of  which  it  was  proposed  to  erect  a  monument 
to  the  memory  ot  Minneapolis  soldiers  and  sailors  of  the 
Civil  War.  The  plan,  when  carried  out,  will  entail  an 
expenditure  ot  several  million  dollars  and  will  require 
years  tor  its  completion. 

Comprehensive  Planning. — There  have  been  various 
efforts  by  different  civic  bodies  in  St.  Paul   toward  com- 


St.  Louis. —  I'mpcsiJ  l)c\  cIciDiunt  nf  Ftirest  Park  fnmi  Art  Hill  to  Liiulell  Dri\c.    \'iew  Looking  Northciist. 


St.  Paii.. — Capitol  Approach.    A  BriKul  Boulevard,  Cut  Tliruugh  a  Run-ilown  District,  Starting 
Intersection,  and  Continuing  Toward  the  Capitol.    At  a  Halt-Way  Point  is  a  Plaza  and  a  Memorial  C 


at  "Seven  Corners,"  a  Busy 
oluinn. 


159 


i6o 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


prehensive  city  planning.  In  April,  1911,  John  Nolen,  ot 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  submitted  a  preliminary  report  to  the 
City  Club,  of  which  Louis  Betz  was  president,  on  a  plan 
tor  St.  Paul.  This  report  was  a  very  brief  one  and  was 
accompanied  bv  two  additional  iletailed  field  reports  and 
preliminary  plans  prepared  on  the  ground  by  Arthur  C. 
Comey.  The  plans  included  a  complete  preliminary  plan 
of  the  central  district,  iliagrams  tor  proposed  street  widen- 
ing, and   a  special   plan    for   the  Capitol   .Approach.     Mr. 


saint"  PAUL. 


St.  Pail. — Preliminary  Plan  (191 1)  for  Centr.il  District 
(including  Capitol  Approach). 

At  the  right,  running  diagonally,  is  Robert  Street,  which  as 
recommended  was  recently  widened  from  55  feet  to  75  feet  by 
cutting  on  one  side  only.  Now  Robert  Street  is  the  finest  thor- 
oughfare in  the  central  district. 

Nolen  states  that  St.  Paul  as  a  city  suffers  today,  and 
will  suffer  increasingly  in  the  future,  from  two  severe 
handicaps,  namely:  uniformly  narrow  streets  and  an 
utter  failure,  all  too  common  in  America,  to  consider  the 
city  as  an  organic  unit  and  properly  and  thoughtfully  to 
coordinate  the  various  phases  of  the  city's  activities.  It  is 
only  natural  that  Mr.  Nolen  should  begin  the  study  of  the 
central  district  with  the  Capitol  Approach  and  the  plan 
prepared  by  Cass  Gilbert  the  year  before  for  its  approaches 
and  environment.  It  was  found  that  this  could  be  adjusted, 
with  very  slight  modifications,  to  the  needs  of  traffic  and 
the  requirements  of  the  grouping  of  city  as  well  as  state 
buildings.  A  union  station  was  another  big  problem. 
Street  Widening. — Out   of   the    city    planning   studies 


undertaken  by  Mr.  Nolen  came  a  clearer  vision  of  the 
needs  of  traffic  in  the  central  district,  and  particularly  the 
widening  of  Robert  Street,  an  important  down-town 
shopping  street  and  thoroughfare  for  which  Mr.  Nolen 
submitted  a  plan.  The  street,  as  laid  out  at  the  time  the 
city  was  established,  was  only  55  feet  in  width.  It  is  one 
of  the  chief  north  and  south  thoroughfares  in  the  busi- 
ness district.  It  is  also  an  office  building  center.  In  1912 
the  property  owners  petitioned  the  Board  of  Public 
Works  to  widen  Robert  Street  from  55  feet  to  7?  feet. 
1 1  was  at  first  suggested  that  the  street  be  arcaded  on  both 
sides,  but  finally  it  was  decided  that  the  cheapest  as  well 
as  the  best  method  was  to  widen  the  street  20  feet  on  the 
west  side;  buildings  were  not  so  costly  as  those  on  the  east 
side.  The  plan  adopted  to  meet  the  cost  is  to  distribute 
the  expenses  over  the  property  immediately  abutting  on 
Robert  Street  and  within  100  feet  of  the  intersecting 
streets.  For  financing  the  assessments,  the  city  has  issued 
6  per  cent  bonds  which  the  property  owners  affected  are 
to  pay  in  five  yearly  instalments.  The  carrying  out  of 
the  widening  project  occupied  two  years  and  has  now  given 
the  city  its  only  business  street  ot  75  .feet  in  width.  It 
has  enabled  the  city  to  relieve  to  a  great  extent  the  conges- 
tion ot  traffic  in  the  down-town  district,  and  since  it  con- 
nects on  the  north  end  with  a  street  125  feet  wide,  it  is 
now  being  used  as  a  thoroughfare  to  Minneapolis.  The 
value  of  this  city  planning  improvement  tor  retail  busi- 
ness purposes  and  tor  local  and  through  traffic  will 
undoubtedly  justify  the  cost.  Unfortunately,  efforts  to 
have  the  plans  submitted  by  Mr.  Nolen  adopted  as  a 
whole  were  unavailing,  there  being  no  established  rela- 
tion between  the  City  Club,  the  organization  which 
engaged    Mr.   Nolen,  and  the    city  officials  of  St.   Paul. 

Park  Plans. — About  the  same  time  Mr.  Nolen  sub- 
mitted his  report,  A.  B.  Stickney,  chairman  of  the  Citi- 
zens' Committee  ot  One-hundred-fitty,  submitted  a  report 
in  which  a  definite  scheme  was  proposed  for  the  rounding 
out  of  the  present  and  contemplated  park  system  of  St. 
Paul.  The  parks  and  boulevards  ot  Minneapolis  supple- 
ment the  parks  and  boulevards  of  St.  Paul,  and  Mr. 
Stickney  made  a  plea  tor  constructive  work,  pointing  to 
the  accomplishments  of  Minneapolis  and  contrasting 
them  with  the  small  accomplishments  of  St.  Paul.  He 
submitted  a  carefully  studied  plan  with  his  report. 

City  Planning  Commission. — The  City  Club  having 
ceased  to  exist,  those  persons  in  St.  Paul  who  were  inter- 
ested in  the  projects  at  the  time  Mr.  Nolen's  report 
was  submitted,  have  continued  spasmodically  to  arouse 
the  city  officials  to  the  importance  of  doing  some  compre- 
hensive city  planning,  but  without  either  much  success  or 
encouragement.  On  September  1,  1914,  Mayor  Powers, 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  local  division  ot  the  Association 
ot  Commerce,  appointed  a  City  Planning  Commission  to 
study  the  needs  of  the  city  and,  in  time,  prepare  com- 
prehensive plans.  At  the  first  meeting  ot  this  body,  at  the 
Mayor's  office,  in  October,  1914,  it  was  unanimously 
agreed  that  no  move  should  be  made  or  actual  work  of  any 
kind  done  until  a  proper  ordinance  was  prepared  by  the 
Commission  and  passed  by  the  Council.  It  was  recog- 
nized that  no  effective  city  planning  could  be  accomplished 
without  the  cooperation  of  the  Council  and  official  sup- 
port of  the  municipal  government.    The  drafting  ot  this 


CITY    PLANNING   PROGRESS 


i6i 


ordinance  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  subcommittee, 
and  after  several  weeks  of  labor,  which  included  the 
reviewing  of  many  similar  ordinances  in  force  in  other 
cities  and  correspondence  with  various  city  planning 
authorities,  a  good  workable  ordinance  was  devised,  and 
one  under  which  much  can  be  done.  The  vital  section  of 
this  ordinance  made  it  absolutely  necessary  that  all 
matters  pertaining  "to  the  planning  and  replanning  of  the 
city  shall  be  referred  to  the  planning  board,  for  its  con- 
sideration and  report  at  such  times  as  the  Council  may 
direct,  before  final  action  is  taken  on  the  same  bv  the 
Council."  In  this  way  any  proposed  improvement,  any 
conflict  with  the  city  plan  in  its  early  stages  of  develop- 
ment, would  be  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Council, 
and  by  it  either  altered  to  fit  the  plan  or  eliminated 
altogether.  It  was  the  opinion  ot  the  Planning  Board  that 
any  arrangement  making  it  optional  on  the  part  of  the 
Council  whether  these  things  were  referred  to  the  Board  or 
not,  would  without  question  destroy  the  efficiency  of  the 
planning  body.  When  the  ordinance,  as  submitted  by  the 
Planning  Board,  came  betore  the  Council  for  second  read- 
ing, this  clause  was  eliminated  so  as  to  read,  that  matters 
pertaining  to  city  planning  "may"  be  referred  to  the  Board, 
thereby  serving  notice  on  the  Board  that  it  would  be 
recognized  onlv  when  the  Council  telt  tlisposed  to  recog- 
nize it.  To  work  under  an  ordinance  ot  this  kind  would, 
the  members  of  the  Planning  Boartl  thought,  mean  that 
some  members  ot  the  Board  would  be  obliged  to  attend 
every  meeting  ot  the  Council  in  order  to  prevent  some- 
thing trom  coming  through  that  might  be  out  of  harmony 
with  its  plan,  and  such  procedure  would  be  impossible. 
The  amended  ordinance  referred  to  above,  in  its  present 
form,  IS  believed  to  be  absolutelv  worthless,  and  those  who 
are  interested  in  city  planning  feel  that  gooil  work  under 
it  is  impossible  ot  accomplishment. 

Need  for  Action. — St.  Paul   has  reached   a  stage  in   its 


development  when  much  of  the  down-town  section  must 
be  made  over.  .At  least  two  of  its  main  streets  must  l>c 
widened  in  oriier  to  take  care  of  the  increaseil  traffic  of 
the  next  few  years.  Builiiing  lines  shouki  be  immeiliatelv 
established  on  some  of  the  streets  to  lie  widened,  so  that 
the  cost  of  the  ultimate  result  will  be  tar  less  than  if  new 
structures  are  allowed  to  be  created  without  regard  to  the 
future.  There  is  hardly  a  city  in  .America  where  'intelli- 
gent, comprehensive  city  planning  could  he  done  with 
so  much  promise  of  good  results  as  in  St.  Paul  today. 
Business  men  realize  it,  and  it  will  not  be  long  before  they 
will  insist  that  some  attention  be  paiii  to  this  all-inijiortant 
matter  by  the  City  Council. 

Association  oj  Commerce. — Last  year  .some  notable 
progress  along  city  planning  lines  was  made  by  the  St. 
Paul  .Association  of  Commerce  through  its  City  Planning 
Committee.  .A  program  laid  down  by  this  body  is  to  be 
continued  by  this  year's  director-chairman,  Louis  Betz, 
who  was  president  of  the  Citv  Club  at  the  time  Mr.  No- 
len  submitted  his  report  in  n^i  i. 

Salem 

Massachusetts 

Salem  (48,56:)  was  the  first  city  in  Nhissachusetts  to 
appoint  a  permanent  City  Plans  Commission.  An  ordi- 
nance of  the  City  Council  provided  for  a  commission,  which 
was  appointed  in  May,  191 1,  with  Harlan  P.  Kelsey  as 
chairman,  and  later  reorganized  as  the  Salem  Planning 
Board,  under  the  Massachusetts  state  law,  (Chap.  494, 
.Acts  of  1913).  The  Commission  published  a  comprehen- 
sive plan  in  19 12.  Some  of  the  chief  recommentlations 
were  tor  new  thoroughfares,  a  shore  drive,  the  redemjition 
of  the  "decayed  waterfront  20  miles  long,"  the  elimination 
of  grade  crossings,  a  connecting  boulevard  or  "ring  street," 


Salem. — Group  of  Low-Rent,  Semi-detached  Cottaije.s  for  the  Salem  Kt-lnnKiliiL:   Trust.    Kilham  ;iiul  Hopkins,  Arcliiticts. 
The  wooden  three  deckers  had  heen  the  predominant  type  of  dwellini;  tor  the  waijc  earner  in  Salem  up  t<i  the  time  (it  the  devasta- 
ting tire  of  1914. 


i6: 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


building  zones,  and  a  system  of  connected  parks  and 
neiehborhood  centers.  This  plan  had  been  in  existence 
hardlv  more  than  a  year  before  the  city  suffered  a  pro- 
found shock  from  a  disastrous  fire  which  swept  over  large 
areas  occupied  by  frame  dwellings.  Here  was  another 
instance  of'  the  advantage  which  a  city  enjoys  in  possessing 
a  comprehensive  plan.  A  unique  opportunity  presented 
itself  for  the  realization  of  many  of  the  recommendations 
contained  in  this  plan,  which,  under  ordinary  conditions, 
would  probably  have  been  impracticable  owing  to  their 
great  cost.  As  it  happened,  the  city  did  not  take  advantage 
of  its  opportunity  to  the  extent  that  was  to  be  expected, 
although  a  considerable  number  of  detailed  improvements, 
directlv  traceable  to  the  original  plan,  have  been  adopted. 
.A  number  of  streets  have  been  widened  and  extended, 
building  lines  have  been  adopted,  a  shore  boulevard  is 
being  constructed,  and  an  improved  housing  code,  pro- 
viding for  a  more  permanent  and  healthful  type  of  dwell- 
ing construction,  is  in  force.  Of  more  recent  city  planning 
work,  there  has  been  prepared  a  study  and  report  on 
trolley  transportation  and  tentative  plans  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  entire  Salem  waterfront  on  commercial, 
industrial,  and  recreational  lines. 

Salt  Lake  City 
Utah 

A  Civic  Planning  and  Art  Commission  was  created 
by  ordinance  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Salt  Lake 
City  (117,399)  on  July  2j,  1914.  This  Commission  is  still 
active  and  is  giving  consideration  to  the  employment  of  an 
expert  adviser  to  draft  a  comprehensive  development 
scheme  for  the  citv,  later  to  be  submitted  to  the  voters  tor 
approval.  The  duties  of  the  Commission  are  of  an  advisory 
character  and  relate  to  all  matters,  plans,  and  proposals 
affecting  the  development  or  artistic  adornment  of  the 
city.  It  has  already  proposed  a  scheme  for  a  civic  center, 
and  it  recommends  the  utilization  of  the  Jordan  River, 
where  it  winds  through  the  western  part  of  the  city,  for 


commercial  and  industrial  purposes.  The  completion  of 
the  drainage  canal  is  urged  as  a  means  of  securing  a  water- 
course to  Great  Salt  Lake.  The  movement  for  city  plan- 
ning has  had  the  constant  support  of  J.  L.  Fairbanks, 
sculptor,  A.  V.  Treganza,  architect,  and  the  members  of 
the  Civic  Improvement  Committee  of  the  Commer- 
cial Club. 

Parks. — Salt  Lake  City  has  but  eighteen  parks,  with  a 
total  area  of  160  acres,  and  loyi  miles  of  boulevard.  A 
movement  for  playgrounds  and  recreational  facilities  was 
started  several  years  ago  but  has  never  reached  a  stage  of 
constructive  development.  Nothing  could  point  more  to 
the  need  of  adequate  planning  in  the  interest  of  the  people 
than  this  poor  showing  in  regard  to  parks  and  recreation. 
A  movement  for  legislative  action,  giving  to  the  Civic 
Planning   Commission    larger   powers,   is   being   agitated. 

San  Antonio 

Texas 

To  most  persons  the  mention  of  San  Antonio  (123,831) 
recalls  stories  of  the  great  Catholic  missions  founded  by 
the  Franciscan  Fathers  who  came  from  Mexico  and 
established  a  Christian  civilization  in  what  was  then  a 
wilderness  north  of  the  Rio  Grande.  Half  American — 
half  Spanish — in  its  atmosphere,  San  Antonio  is  today 
engaged  in  extensive  preparation  for  a  great  Pan-Ameri- 
can Exposition,  to  be  opened  in  1918,  at  which  time  it  is 
expected  that  the  ancient  missions  built  two  hundred 
years  ago  by  the  Franciscan  pioneers  will  be  completely 
rehabilitated. 

The  City  Planning  Committee. — The  city  government, 
in  recent  years,  has  been  keenly  alive  to  some  of  the  im- 
mediate needs  of  the  central  districts  and  has  liberally 
provided  for  certain  forms  of  municipal  services.  Sec- 
tions of  three  principal  thoroughfares  in  the  heart  of  the 
business  district  have  been  widened,  on  the  initiative  of 
the  property  owners  affected.  The  entire  cost  was  borne 
by  the  latter.   The  benefit  to  the  retail  business  section  as 


JAn'X»IEGO-<:AL- 


Sa.\  Diego. — The  Great  Bay  Front  and  Plan  (1908),  Projected  for  Railroad  and  Water  .Approaclies,  Including  an  Esplanade,  Arr 
and  Pleasure  Center  at  the  Foot  of  Date  Street,  and  Paseo  Connecting  the  Bay  with  the  City  Park. 


CITY   PI,ANNING   PROCJRKSS 


1 6.^ 


Courtesy  Fl\ine  As^oiialioi] 

San   Diego. — View  o(  Exposition  Group  trom  an  Aeroplane. 
The  one  outstanding  civic  accomplishment  of  San  Diego  is  the  creation  of  the  Exposition.   Some  of  the  buildings  are  permanent, 
Hreproot  structures,  and  others  will  last  for  years  with  proper  care.    Most  of  these  are  to  be  used  in  the  creation  of  museums  and  civic 
halls  of  various  kinds. 


a  result  ot  these  widenings  is  now  being  realized,  and  those 
who  have  borne  the  cost  consider  that  they  have  made  an 
excellent  investment. 

But  comprehensive  planning — the  long  look  ahead — 
has  received  but  feeble  recognition.  About  three  years 
ago,  the  Mayor  of  the  city  appointed  a  City  Planning 
Committee  ot  twenty  members  with  .Atlee  B.  .Ayres,  a 
member  ot  the  American  Institute  ot  Architects,  as  chair- 
man. After  the  Committee  had  served  for  a  short  time, 
the  Mayor,  the  official  supporter  of  its  work,  died.  With- 
out funds  tor  carrying  on  its  work,  the  Committee  actually 
accomplished  little  ot  constructive  value.  It  met  at  fre- 
quent intervals,  however,  and  advocated  the  preparation 
of  a  comprehensive  city  plan  by  expert  advisers.  To  Mr. 
.Ayres  was  delegated  the  task  of  recommending  experts  to 
be  employed,  and  he  went  to  Boston  to  consult  with  Mr. 
Olmsted,  among  others.  Without  funds,  however,  the 
Commission  was  unable  to  enter  into  a  contract  tor  a 
plan.  The  Committee  earnestly  advocated  the  widening 
of  certain  streets,  the  development  of  the  riverfront,  and 
the  extension  and  improvement  of  the  city's  parks.  The 
location  of  San  Antonio,  surrounded  as  it  is  with  a  fine 
rolling  country,  offers  unusual  opportunities  tor  the 
acquisition  of  reservations  ot  remarkable  natural  charm. 
Although  the  City  Plan  Committee  has  not  disbanded,  it 
is  not  now  actively  working  on  city  planning  problems, 
lacking  the  support  of  the  present  city  authorities.  How- 
ever,  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce,  an  active  organization, 
is  giving  its  support  to  all  city  planning  proposals. 


San   Diego 

California 

A  general  plan  for  the  improvement  of  San  Diego 
(5J,3Jo)  was  prepared  in  1908  by  John  \olen  for  the  Civic 
Improvement  Committee,  ot  which  Julius  Wangen- 
heim  was  chairman.  San  Diego  is  unique  in  its  climate, 
situation,  and  scenery.  The  bay,  on  which  it  directly 
fronts,  is  one  of  the  safest  and  most  beautiful  harbors  in 
the  world.  Not  only  the  bay,  but  every  type  of  scenery — 
beach  and  promontory,  mesa  and  cafion — unite  in  never- 
ending  variety  to  form  a  city  that  is  strikingly  individual 
in  character  and  of  great  lieauty.  Notwithstanding  the 
advantages  of  its  environment,  San  Diego  is,  as  a  whole, 
neither  interesting  nor  beautiful.  It  has  done  little  or 
nothing  to  secure  tor  its  people  the  benefits  of  any  of  its 
great  natural  resources. 

The  Report. — The  report  to  the  Civic  Improvement 
Committee,  entitled  "A  Comprehensive  Plan  for  the 
Improvement  of  San  Diego,"  contains  recommendations 
under  five  major  heads:  a  public  square  and  civic  center, 
a  great  bayfront  improvement,  small  open  spaces,  streets 
and  boulevards,  and  a  system  of  parks.  I.ittle  has  been 
done  since  this  report  was  made,  although  the  city  did  an 
excellent  piece  of  work  in  the  creation  of  the  San  Diego 
F,x]iosition  and  buihiings.  Some  ot  the  latter  are  of  perma- 
nent fireproof  construction,  and  several  of  the  others  will 
last   tor   years   with   proper  care.     Most  of  these   are   to 


1 64 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRKSS 


be  used  in  the  creation  ot  a  museum  ot  archeology, 
ethnology,  sociology,  and  fine  arts.  The  whole  group  ot 
buildings  has  become  a  community  center  during  the 
two  years  since  the  Exposition  and  is  destined  to  be  even 
more  so,  tor  public  entertainments,  banil  concerts  and  the 
like.  In  July,  1916,  a  City  Planning  C\)mmission  was 
created  by  City  Ordinance,  but  no  appointments  have 
been  made  nor  has  an  appropriation  been  allowed.  VV. 
Templeton  Johnson,  architect,  is  particulary  active  in 
promotmg  comprehensive  planning. 

San  Francisco 

Calitnrnia 

In  1904  the  Association  tor  the  Improvement  and 
.'\dornment  ot  .San  Francisco  (463,516)  was  formed  for 
the  purpose  ot  devising  a  city  plan.  Former  Mayor,  John 
1).  Phelan,  now  United  States  Senator  trom  Calitornia, 
was  the  chief  supporter  of  this  movement.  Mr.  Phelan 
was  fortunate  in  enlisting  the  interest  and  enthusiasm  of 
the  late  Daniel  H.  Burnham,  of  Chicago,  who  came  to 
San  Francisco,  with  Kdward  H.  Bennett  as  his  assistant 
and  collaborator,  and  made  a  very  careful  study  of  the 
entire  city  and  its  environment.  In  the  course  of  two  or 
three  years  a  very  beautitul  and  interesting  scheme  for  the 
development  ot  the  city  was  presented  and  published  in  a 
handsome  report.  The  major  proposals  in  this  plan  dwelt 
with  the  i)utl\ing  districts,  and  one  scheme  in  particular, 


a  civic  center  in  the  down-town  section  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  two  principal  traffic  arteries,  was  subsequently 
laid  before  the  people  tor  adoption,  although  without  suc- 
cess. Then  came  the  earthquake  and  fire  which  impover- 
ished many  of  the  citizens  and  forced  the  city  to  go  heavily 
into  debt  in  order  to  provide  public  buildings  and  utilities. 
The  city  was  not  in  a  position  to  take  up  the  monumental 
work  which  the  new  plan  involved.  Recuperation  from 
this  terrible  disaster,  however,  followed  rapidly,  and  about 
November  i,  191 1,  a  new  administration  was  elected, 
pledged  to  bring  about  the  development  of  a  new  civic 
center,  not  on  the  site  selected  by  Mr.  Burnham,  but  in 
neighboring  blocks  near  what  is  known  as  the  old  city 
hall  site.  On  F'ebruary,  191 2,  a  board  of  three  architects, 
consisting  of  John  Galen  Howard,  Frederick  H.  Meyer, 
and  John  Reid,  Jr.,  was  appointed  by  the  city  to  formu- 
late plans  for  the  development  ot  the  entire  civic  center 
scheme  within  the  determined  area,  and  on  March  29  of 
the  same  year  the  peopile  voted  a  bond  issue  ot  J8,oco,ooo 
to  carry  the  scheme  through.  Within  the  last  five  years 
the  civic  center  has  become  a  reality,  and  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  undertaking  remains  to  be  realized.  The 
same  city  administrators  were  elected  at  the  last  election, 
and  this  and  similar  enterprises  of  a  city  planning  charac- 
ter are  to  be  carried  on  or  put  into  shape  for  ultimate 
completion. 

Rt'stdls. — On  the  whole,  San  Francisco's  experience  in 
city  planning  should  encourage  hundreds  of  other  cities. 
Though  nothing  has  been  carried  out  in  accordance  with 


B£-^a.^'  ■■  ■  -■■  ■'  fr'r  :>■-;'  fryi^-^^'. 


cri'v  pi.AXNiNc;  PK(x;Rt:ss 


165 


I 


San    I'RANCi.sfc). —  I  he  Civic  CcntL-r  in  which  the  Cit;   Hall  ami  Aiulitonum  have  lieen  Conipietcil. 


the  original  Burnham  plan,  nevertheless,  what  has  been 
accomplished  has  been  due  to  the  existence  of  the  Burn- 
ham  plan.  To  quote  Mr.  John  Galen  Howard,  "The 
seed  was  sown  and  it  lay  in  the  dark  for  a  long  time;  sud- 
denly the  moment  came  and,  almost  in  an  instant,  San 
Francisco  realized  a  civic  center." 

The  Panama  Exposition. — The  recovery  of  San  Fran- 
cisco trom  the  earthquake  and  fire  is  one  of  the  marvels  ot 
the  world.  In  a  less  period  than  eight  years,  monumental 
buildings   have   been   erected  on   a  comprehensive   plan; 


parks  and  boulevards  have  been  laid  out;  and  in  11^14,  the 
city  came  before  the  nation  tor  the  privilege  ot  celebrating 
the  greatest  ot  all  engineering  teats  ot  our  time,  the 
I'anama-Pacific  International  F.xposition.  .And,  whereas, 
but  ten  years  before  250,000  men  and  women  were  in  the 
bread-line,  in  191 5  that  same  city  entertained  at  its 
boarti  the  nations  ot  the  world. 

Exposition  Presi'ivalion  /.cagiie.  In  Hyi;  the  i'.xposi- 
tion  Preservation  League,  in  reality  a  city  planning  organi- 
zation, was  launched,  with  representatives  from  seventy 


1 66 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


civic  bodies  in  San  Francisco.  The  purpose  of  the  League 
is  to  preserve  for  the  city  something  ot  permanent  benefit 
from  the  great  Exposition.  The  League  had  strong  back- 
ing trom  the  first  and  raised  a  fund  ot  Ji7,ooo  for  its  work. 
It  has  succeeded,  not  only  in  planning,  but  in  carrying  out 
a    program    involving    about    jj,ooo,ooo    ot    permanent 


San  Francisco. — Telegraph  Hill,  Looking  East,  Showing 
Suggested  .Architectural  Treatment  as  Proposed  in  Compre- 
hensive Plan  of  1905. 

improvements  tor  the  city  ot  San  Francisco.  Briefly,  the 
League  has  secured  the  opening  ot  a  new  boulevard  cost- 
ing $700,000,  with  a  length  of  lyi  miles,  extending  from 
the  end  of  Van  Ness  Avenue  along  the  waterfront  to  the 
Presidio,  a  military  reservation  of  1,500  acres.  It  accom- 
plished the  purchase  of  the  Marina  Park  and  yacht  harbor 
in  the  bay  ot  San  Francisco,  the  only  piece  of  waterfront 
owned  by  the  city,  with  donations  of  stock  of  the 
Exposition. 

Preserving  the  Exposition  s  Monuments. — Through  its 
efforts  the  Column  of  Progress  of  the  Exposition  is  being 
built  permanently  on  its  present  site  from  funds  now  avail- 
able (See  p.  4).  This  preserves  to  San  Francisco  a  monu- 
ment of  unusual  merit  and  dignity  of  design.  Also,  through 
persistent  efforts  with  the  legislature,  the  California  Build- 
ing of  the  Exposition  is  to  be  preserved  as  a  state  normal 
school,  more  permanently  built  upon  its  present  site,  at  a 
cost  ot  $500,000.  A  group  ot  buildings,  including  the  Ex- 
positionPalace  of  Fine  Arts  with  its  lagoon  (See  p.  4),  is  to 
be  preserved  as  a  center  of  arts  and  letters,  adjacent  to 
Marina  Park  and  Boulevard.  Through  the  efforts  of  the 
League  the  owners  of  the  other  property  on  which  the 
Exposition  stood  have  practically  agreed  to  merge  their 
land  to  form  a  high-class  restricted  residence  district, 
plans  (See  p.  4)  for  which  have  been  drawn  by  Daniels  & 
VVilhelm,  landscape  architects,  of  San  Francisco,  a  full 
account  of  which  is  given  in  the  Journal  of  the  American 
Institute  oj  Architects  for  May,  1917. 

Ferry  Approaches. — The  approach  from  the  Ferry- 
house  to  Market  Street  is  of  enormous  importance,  not 
only  from  the  point  of  view  of  beauty,  but  primarily  as  a 
matter  of  convenience  to  traffic,  and  is  one  of  the  pressing 
problems  today. 

Official  City  Planning. — .An  ordinance  authorizing  the 
Mayor  to  appoint  a  city  planning  commission  was  passed 
by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  San  Francisco  in  March, 


1914,  but  the  Mayor  has  not  as  yet  officially  named  the 
commissioners.  .About  January  i,  1917,  the  Mayor 
named  Mrs.  .Abbie  F.  Krebs  special  commissioner  to 
investigate  city  planning  in  the  East  and  report  to  him. 
She  is  at  this  writing  absent  trom  the  city  on  this  work. 
Unofficial  City  Planning — Zoning. — The  Common- 
wealth Club  ot  California  has  a  most  active  city  planning 
section,  organized  in  1913,  ot  which  Henry  G.  Meyer 
is  chairman  and  C.  H.  Cheney,  secretary,  with  a  member- 
ship of  about  300  persons.  This  section  is  making  investi- 
gations to  determine  the  need  of  districting  or  zoning  in 
.San  PVancisco  and  vicinity.  Their  report  was  published 
in  .April,  1917.  The  same  group  was  instrumental  m 
organizing  the  California  Conference  on  City  Planning 
in  1914.  It  brought  trom  New  York  the  American  City 
Bureau's  City  Planning  Exhibit  in  1914,  was  one  of  the 
principal  organizers  of  the  Exposition  Preservation  League 
in  1 91 5,  and  has  had  active  interest  and  representation 
in  the  San  Francisco  Housing  Association  since  1909. 

Savannah 
Georgia 

Geographically,  Savannah  (68,805)  enjoys  a  position 
ot  unusual  advantage.  Her  location  on  the  banks  ot  the 
Savannah  River,  on  a  plateau  50  feet  above  sea-level  and 
18  miles  from  the  .Atlantic,  has  facilitated  both  ocean  and 
coastwise  traffic,  so  that  the  city  is  today  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  of  our  .Atlantic  ports. 

The  Oglethorpe  Plan. — Savannah  was  settletl  in  1733 
by  a  band  ot  i  20  colonists  under  the  leadership  of  Governor 
James  F.dward  Oglethorpe,  the  English  general  and  phil- 
anthropist, whose  wisdom  and  foresight  are  responsible  for 
the  city's  excellent  plan.  The  basic  aim  of  the  founder  was 
to  provide  a  town  in  the  New  World  which  would  afford 
new  economic   and   social   opportunities   for  unfortunate 


Savannah. — Oglethorpe    .Avenue,    One    of    the    Numerous 
Thoroughfares  with  Center  Parkway  Laid  Out  180  Years  Ago. 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRKSS 


i6- 


debtors  who  had  suffered  indefinite  imprisonment  under 
the  English  laws.  In  the  case  of"  Savannah,  the  social  as 
well  as  the  economic  factor  was  given  deep  consideration 
in  the  planning  of  the  city.  Oglethorpe,  knowing  the 
disastrous  effects  of  overcrowding  in  the  cities  in  the  old 
country,  was  careful  in  guarding  against  such  a  defect  in 
the  new.  The  broad  streets,  the  numerous  small  parks 
provided,  which  exist  to  the  glory  and  comfort  of  Savannah 
today,  were  undoubtedly  set  aside  as  the  means  of  pre- 
venting congestion  of  housing  and  traffic,  their  esthetic 
value  being  altogether  a  secondary  consideration.  .Ample 
street  width  likewise  showed  foresight  for  the  future 
growth  and  needs  of  the  population.  In  the  portion  of  the 
existing  plan  laid  out  by  Oglethorpe,  Bull  Street  divideil 


mission  is  kept  out  of  politics  and  is  not  hampered  in  pur- 
suing a  fixed  policy. 

Recfttl  City  Planning. — Savannah,  in  common  with 
many  other  cities,  has  taken  on  new  life  within  the  past 
tiecatie.  This  rejuvenescence  is  due  largely  to  the  active 
cooperation  of  the  tratle  bodies  and  the  municipality.  In 
'907.  John  Nolen,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  submitted  a 
report  on  the  "Improvement  of  Savannah,"  which  has  not 
been  printed.  Mr.  Nolen  recognizes  the  merit  of  the 
Oglethorpe  plan  as  it  exists  today  and  the  ease  with  which 
the  present  plan  of  Savannah  could  in  some  respects  be 
modihed.  He  comments  also  on  the  necessitv  for  prompt 
action  it  the  jieople  of  the  city  are  to  secure  the  advantages 
of  changes  in  the  olil  city  and  of  planning  in  a  vigorous. 


City  or  Sc//f:\'AcrAoY 


ScHENECiAUV. — Pl.ui  Piupusei!  and  Partly  Carried  Out  for  the 
The  scheme  for  a  dignified  western  gateway  ami   bridge,  illustrated 

the  city  east  from  west,  ami  on  all  alternating  streets 
parallel  to  Bull  Street  there  is  a  series  of  parks  two  blocks 
apart.  On  the  other  alternating  streets,  parallel  to  Bull 
Street,  there  are  no  parks,  and  these  streets  are  used 
more  particularly  for  traffic.  The  Strand  at  Bay  Street 
on  the  north  antl  Forsvthe  Street  Park  (at  Gaston  Street 
on  the  south)  bound  the  original  city.  .'\  system  similar 
to  that  described  is  employed  in  planning  the  new  sec- 
tions of  the  city.  Oglethorpe  .Avenue  and  Liberty  Street, 
two  of  the  oldest  thoroughfares  in  Savannah,  have  hand- 
some center  parkways  with  30-foot  driveways  on  each 
side  and,  though  laid  out  over  one  hundred  years  ago, 
are  models  now. 

Parks. — There  were,  in  1910,  167  acres  of  park  area  iii 
the  city  and  376  acres  of  public  grounds,  this  being  one 
of  the  leading  cities  in  the  United  States  in  point  of  park 
area.  The  parks  are  not  under  the  supervision  or  control 
of  the  City  Council  but  of  the  Park  and  Tree  Commission. 
The  powers  of  this  Commission  are.  absolute.    The  Com- 


Development  of  the  Waterfront  and  B.iryc  Canal   Icrniin.il. 

,  is  an  important  problem  and   is  now  being  intensively  studied. 

common-sense  and  beautiful  way  tor  the  city  of  the  future. 
Mr.  Nolen  submitted  plans  tor  only  four  of  the  recom- 
mendations which  he  presented:  the  grouping  of  public 
buildings,  the  modification  of  Bull  Street,  the  improve- 
ment of  the  approaches  to  the  railroad  station,  and  the 
more  adequate  provision  for  commerce  on  the  waterfront 
and  the  de\-elopnient  ot  parts  of  the  same  for  recreation 
and  pleasure,  with  a  broad  esplanade  under  which  busi- 
ness and  traffic  could  be  carried  on.  Clarence  (Joette  is 
tiirector  ot  playgrounds  in  the  city,  P.  I).  Datfin  is  chair- 
man ot  the  Park  ami  Tree  Commi.ssion,  ami  Thomas  Purse 
is  secretary  ot  the  Board  of  Trade. 


Schenectady 

New  "^'ork 
It  is  said  of  Schenectady  (99,519)  that  she  "lights  and 
hauls  the  world."    Her  tame  rests  on  the  great  electrical 
and  locomotive  plants  which  employ  thousands  of  workers. 


1 68 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


But  from  the  city  planning  standpoint,  and  particularly 
in  respect  to  the  social  and  recreational  facilities  of  the 
city  plan,  her  light  has  shone  all  too  dimly  and  her  ener- 
gies have  been  of  a  feeble  sort.  It  is  only  within  the  past 
five  years  that  influences  have  asserted  themselves  mak- 
ing for  improvement  in  this  direction. 

Board  of  Parks  and  City  Plantiing. — In  1912  the  Board 
of  Parks  and  City  Planning,  of  which  Dr.  C.  P.  Steinmetz 
was  chairman,  engaged  John  Nolen,  of  Cambridge,  Mass., 
to  prepare  a  preliminarv  plan  tor  city  improvement  and 
extension.  In  his  report,  which  has  not  been  printed, 
entitled  "Planning  a  City  for  the  People,"  Mr.  Nolen 
expresses  astonishment  at  the  meagerness  of  the  lands 
owned  by  the  city.  Beyond  the  barest  necessities  for 
buildings  required  for  immediate  purposes,  there  was 
practicallv  no  provision  (or  those  things,  upon  which  the 
welfare  of  the  people  rests.  The  urgent  need  in  city  plan- 
ning, it  is  pointed  out,  is  to  give  greater  consideration  to 
the  benefits  which  come  to  the  whole  bodv  of  the  people 
through  improvements   that  concern   everybody,  and   to 


the  west.  There  are  now  practicallv  no  continuous  streets 
extending  around  the  city,  but  the  city  is  fortunate  in 
possessing  a  number  of  good  radial  thoroughfares.  The 
bridging  of  the  deep  ravines  which  cut  through  the  bluflfs 
that  surround  the  old  town,  and  the  connecting  up  and 
completing  of  the  encircling  system  of  streets  are  recom- 
mended. 

Results. — Since  the  report  was  submitted  the  city  has 
been  particularly  active  in  acquiring  park  lands,  the  most 
interesting  achievements  followuig  the  lines  suggested  in 
the  plan  being  the  acquisition  of  the  Cotton  Factory  Hol- 
low for  park  purposes,  and  of  a  part  of  the  waterfront  for 
recreation 

Scranton 

Pennsylvania 

A  report  on  the  "Improvement  of  Scranton"  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  City  Improvement  Committee  of  Scranton 
(146,811)  in   191 2  bv  John  Nolen,  of  Cambridge,  Mass. 


(M^.f^ 


Scranton. — Proposed  .Approach  to  Railroad  Terminal  and  Direct  Connection  with  Court  Square,  the  Focus  of  the  City's  Life. 


work  for  a  higher  ideal  of  homes  and  recreation.  Mr. 
Nolen  urged  that  immediate  steps  be  taken  to  gain  pos- 
session of  the  riverfront  and  of  the  ravines  and  valleys, 
particularly  the  Cotton  Factory  Hollow  property,  and 
he  indicated  the  provision  that  should  be  made  for  more 
ample  schoolgrounds  for  school  children;  for  larger  play- 
fields  for  the  older  children  in  the  school  and  for  the  young 
men  and  women  at  work;  for  parks  located  in  different 
neighborhoods  for  the  use  of  the  entire  population  and 
adults  alike;  and  for  outlying  reservations — all  united 
into  one  comprehensive  design  by  means  of  connecting 
parkways,  boulevards,  and  park  streets. 

Thoroughfares. — The  next  most  urgent  problem  in  the 
replanning  of  Schenectady  is  that  of  designing  a  complete 
and  adequate  street  system.  One  feature  of  special  inter- 
est, to  which  Mr.  Nolen  refers,  and  which  is  close  to  realiza- 
tion now,  is  that  for  a  satisfactory  and  dignified  western 
gateway  for  Schenectady,  plans  for  which  are  being  pre- 
pared by  William  Barclay  Parsons  and  the  city  engineers. 
It  is  proposed  to  span  the  terminal  basin  with  an  impos- 
ing concrete  bridge,  leading  out  in  two  directions  toward 


The  city  has  now  completed  the  fiftieth  year  of  its  cor- 
porate existence,  and  while  that  very  fact  may  be  urged, 
and  reasonably,  as  an  excuse  for  the  lack  of  development, 
still  the  city  has  reached  a  point  when  the  welfare  of  its 
150,000  people  demands  that  rational  development  along 
the  lines  suggested  by  Mr.  Nolen  be  expedited  and,  if 
necessary,  forced. 

The  Recommendations. — In  investigating  Scranton's 
city  planning  problems,  Mr.  Nolen  emphasizes  the  impor- 
tance of  the  central  district  or  focus  of  the  city  life.  Court- 
house Square,  a  tract  of  420  by  500  feet,  and  the  need  for 
improving  its  appearance  and  making  it  thoroughly  acces- 
sible. He  recommends  that  prompt  steps  be  taken  to 
establish  new  building  lines  and  proper  building  restric- 
tions around  the  Square  and  throughout  the  central  sec- 
tion of  Scranton.  He  proposes  that  direct  connection  be 
made  between  the  Lackawanna  Terminal  and  the  Court- 
house Square,  and  he  urges  the  improvement  of  the  sys- 
tem of  main  streets  and  thoroughfares,  both  within  the 
city  and  county.  He  submits,  as  an  illustration  of  more 
modern  methods  of  city  extension  and  land  subdivision,  a 


CITY   PLANNIN(;    PR()(;RKSS 


169 


plan  tor  the  "South  Side."  Finally,  he  makes  recommenda- 
tions tor  the  acquisition  of  well-located  land  for  parks, 
boulevards,  and  playgrounds,  and  to  this  end  he  urges  the 
appointment  of  a  park  commission.  Mr.  Nolcn's  pro- 
posals have  not  been  printed,  hut  the  report  submitted  to 
the  City  Improvement  Commission  is  well  rounded  out, 
illustrated  with  diagrams  ami  plans,  and  contains  many 
valuable  suggestions  which  the  city  authorities  cannot 
afford  to  overlook. 

The  Cenlury  Club  M^'ork. —  In  lyij  the  Citv  Improve- 
ment Department  of  the  Century  Club  of  Scranton 
engaged  the  Department  of  Surveys  and  Flxhibits  of  the 


much  o(  the  city,  and  the  problem  of  alley  ilwcllings  are 
pointed  to  as  requiring  immediate  attention. 

Seattle 

\\ ashington 

The  site  of  -Seattle  (.U'j/'.W).  I>etween  the  shores  of 
I'uget  Sound  ami  Lake  Washington,  is  interrupted  by 
rivers,  canals,  lakes,  and  by  many  hills,  some  with  precipi- 
tous slopes  rising  to  heights  of  .100  to  400  feet.  During 
the  period  of  rapid  growth  of  population,  which  began 


A 


^^■*- 


Seattle. — Proposed  Civic  Center  at  Fourth  and  Blancliard  .Streets  with  a  .Mayniticcnt  Stttini;  Visiliic  from  all  the  Knvironiny 
Hills  and  from  the  Harbor  and  Puget  Sound. 

Dividing  the  center  is  Central  .Avenue,  leading  to  the  railroad  station.  Leading  off  to  the  right  is  the  proposed  (.)lympian  .Mall, 
whose  axis  pierces  the  loftiest  peak  of  the  Olympic  Range,  and  which  will  serve  as  an  approach  from  the  .Sea. 


Russell  Sage  Foundation  ot  New  York  to  make  a  pre- 
liminary diagnosis,  or  pathfinder  survey,  ot  general  social 
conditions.  Zenas  L.  Potter,  Franz  Schneider,  and  Shelby 
M.  Harrison,  director  ot  the  Department,  made  the 
investigations  which  covered  a  wide  range  ot  subjects. 
These  were  published  in  a  little  pamphlet  entitled  "Scran- 
ton in  Quick  Review."  Ot  special  interest  here  is  the 
section  in  the  report  on  civic  improvement.  The  report 
recommends  that  the  work  of  John  Nolen  be  carried 
ahead  to  a  point  of  fruition  and  that  turther  data  be 
gathered  to  show  the  importance  ot  adopting  some  plan 
at  least  for  the  guidance  of  city  growth.  It  emphasizes 
the  serious  grade  crossing  problem  which  confronts 
Scranton;  the  desirability  of  adequately  bridging  the 
numerous  streams  that  run  through  the  main  section  of  the 
city;  and  the  need  for  improvement  of  the  banks  of  the 
stream.    The   billboard   nuisance,   the  lack  of  paving  in 


about  I S90,  engineering  projects,  designeii  to  overcome 
some  of  the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  city  extension,  were 
carried  out  on  a  large  scale,  particularly  in  the  wholesale 
cutting  away  ot  hills  and  the  filling  of  valleys.  .\  compre- 
hensive park,  playground,  ami  boulevard  system  was  also 
prepared  under  the  direction  of  Olmsted  Brothers.  Year  by 
year,  under  the  direction  ot  a  Park  Commission,  this  latter 
plan,  occupying  ravines  wooded  with  giant  firs,  skirting 
botiies  of  salt  and  fresh  water,  or  crowning  hills  with  com- 
manding prospects,  has  gone  torwarii  till  now;  while  in  no 
sense  complete,  it  has  come  to  stand,  in  a  large  measure,  for 
the  high  purposes  and  ideals  ot  the  citv.  These  experiences 
doubtless  had  their  effect  when,  in  \()0<),  untler  the  initia- 
tive of  the  Washington  State  Chapter  ot  the  .American 
Institute  of  .Architects,  and  with  the  cooperation  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Commercial  Clvib,  a 
charter  amendment  authorizing  a  municipal  plans  com- 


Seattle. — Kailmcul  Station.    View  .^long  Central  (Dexter)  Avenue,  from  Civic  Center  as  Proposed. 
Central  Avenue  will  provide  a  direct  and  inviting  boulevard  approach  from  the  railway  gateway  to  the  Civic  Center. 


a  Mile  Long,  Viaduct 


170 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRESS 


171 


mission  to  prepare  a  cuniprchensivc  plan  ot  the  city  and 
its  environs,  at  a  cost  not  to  exceed  $60,000,  was  submitted 
to  the  voters  and  adopted  by  the  largest  favorable  vote 
ever  recorded  for  a  similar  measure  in  the  history  of  the 
city. 

The  Mii>ii(ip<il  P/tiiis  Co ni m is. tin  11.  -'I'he  Commission, 
numbering  twent\-one,  and  selected  trom  leading  orcaniza- 
tions  throughout  the  city,  was  appointcil  in  1910.  W.  R. 
B.  W'illcox,  teilow  ot  the  American  Institute  of  Architects, 
served  as  a  member  ot  the  Commission.  N'irgil  Bogue,  of 
New  York,  was  engaged  to  take  charge  of  their  planning 
work.  Mr.  Bogue  had  never  previously  been  engaged  in 
the  planning  of  cities  but  had  had  fruitful  experience  in 
connection  with  the  problems  ot  railway  and  marine  traffic. 

T/ie  Report. — The  Commission  published  its  final 
report  on  September  7,  191 1.  It  dealt  with  arterial  high- 
wavs,  rapid  transit,  civic  art,  harbor  improvements,  rail- 
way transportation,  and  the  civic  center,  and  contained 
general  and  detailed  maps  with  appendices,  giving  the 
engineering  data  for  the  construction  ot  the  various 
projects  considered.  The  plan  developeil  inward  from  the 
periphery  coordinating  the  highway,  rapid  transit,  rail- 
way and  water  grades.  The  civic  center,  in  its  form  and 
location,  was  the  outcome  ot  the  solution  ot  these  prac- 
tical problems,  rather  than  the  point  of  departure. 

T/ie  Referene/um. — When  the  proposals  of  the  Municipal 
I'lans  Commission  were  submitted  to  the  voters  tor 
adoption,  it  developed  that,  while  they  favored  the  making 
of  a  plan  tor  the  city  as  a  general  principle,  they  viewed  its 
adoption  in  concrete  form  from  the  narrower,  though 
quite  natural,  point  ot  view  of  individuals  who  feared 
their  properties  were  likely  to  be  disturbed  by  the  improve- 
ments suggested;  consequently  the  sum  of  individual 
objections  accomplished  the  rejection  of  the  plan  as  a 
definite  plan  ot  procedure,  under  the  prescribed  two- 
thirds  vote,  although,  be  it  said,  the  plan  was  approved  by 
a  majority  ot  the  voters.  However,  the  motive  which 
actuated  the  voters  in  the  rejection  of  the  plan  in  its 
entirety  was  amusingly  illustrated  at  the  same  election 
when,  as  a  separate  measure,  under  the  title  of  a  com- 
prehensive plan  of  port  development,  that  portion  of  the 
Bogue  plan  relating  to  the  improvement  ot  the  extended 
waterfront  of  the  city  was  submitted  by  the  Port  Com- 
mission and  adopted  by  the  voters  as  a  definite  program. 
Since  then  #6,000,000  has  been  expended  in  accordance 
therewith. 

Recent  Results. — Improvements  and  extensions  to  the 
highway,  rapid  transit  and  a  railway  system  have  since 
been  undertaken  in  accordance  with  the  Bogue  plan,  but 
the  civic  center  project  will  doubtless  remain  in  abeyance 
for  some  years,  while  the  more  vital  commercial  develop- 
ments are  being  pushed  to  the  utmost. 

C.  H.  Alden,  member  of  the  Committee  on  Town  Plan- 
ning of  the  .•\merican  Institute  of  .Architects,  is  one  ot 
those  active  in  promoting  better  and  more  comprehensive 
planning  in  Seattle. 

Sheboygan 
Wisconsin 

The  City  Planning  Commission  of  Sheboygan  (28,559), 
the  successor  of  the   City   Park   Commission,   has   been 


restricted  in  its  opportunities  tor  service  by  the  limitcil 
powers  granted  it  by  the  City  Council  and  the  failure  ot 
the  Council  to  cooperate  with  it  in  projects  in  hand. 
Nevertheless,  the  Commission  has  given  serious  considera- 
tion to  the  employment  of  experts,  and  expects  that 
additional  powers  will  be  granted  it  such  as  will  give  the 
Commission  an  opportunity  to  be  ot  real  service  to  the 
city  along  lines  which  the  Commission  has  mapped  out. 
\V.  J.  Hollingsworth  is  an  active  member  ot  the  City 
Planning  Commission. 

Industrial  Housing. — Near  Sheboygan  is  the  new  vil- 
lage of  Kohler,  now  being  developed  by  the  Kohler  Com- 
pany, of  which  Walter  J.  Kohler  is  president.  Extensive 
plans  have  been  made  for  the  village  embodying  the  most 
advanced  principles  of  town  planning.  .A  separate  improve- 
ment company,  independent  ot  the  Kohler  Company, 
has  been  incorporated  to  buy  and  sell  lanil,  build  houses, 
and  assist  in  developing  the  community.  Phillips  & 
Brust,  architects,  have  prepared  plans  tor  the  houses  and 
community  building,  and  the  first  group  of  houses  is  now 
in  process  of  construction.  .\  comprehensive  plan  has 
been  prepared  dividing  the  village  into  industrial,  commer- 
cial, and  residential  zones  and  providing  for  playgrounds, 
parks,  athletic  fields,  and  recreation  centers.  .\  unique 
feature  is  a  building  to  be  erecteil  as  a  home  for  single 
men  of  modest  means.  The  building  is  exceedingly  attrac- 
tive and  will  be  set  in  pleasant,  spacious  grounds.  Kach 
man  will  have  a  separate  outsiile  room,  and  there  will  be 
baths,  reading-  and  billiard-rooms,  and  bowling-alleys. 

Shenandoah 

Pennsylvania 

.\  report  on  city  planning  and  ci\'ic  improvement  in 
Shenandoah  (29,201)  from  the  Shade  Tree  Commission 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  city  was  very  backward 
in  general  planning  tor  future  growth.  The  Shade  Tree 
Commission,  of  which  J.  F.  Brown  is  secretary,  appears  to 
be  the  only  organization  engaged  in  the  work  ot  city 
improvement. 

Shreveport 

Louisiana 

Without  funds,  the  City  Planning  Commission  ot 
Shreveport  (55,230),  appointed  in  1915  by  the  City  Com- 
missioners, has  been  able  to  accomplish  little  in  the  way  ot 
actual  improvement.  This  Commission  has  been  sup- 
ported in  many  ways,  however,  by  a  committee  ot  citizens 
which  has  suggested  numerous  lines  in  which  the  official 
Commission  could  be  of  service.  There  is  also  a  Civic 
League,  a  Clean-Up  League,  and  many  other  organiza- 
tions that  are  interested  in  city  planning  and  civic  improve- 
ment. Numerous  suggestions  have  been  made  tor  the 
grouping  of  public  buililings.  Plans  are  on  foot  for  exten- 
sive ornamental  lighting  in  the  city.  There  is  a  well- 
organized  Playgrouml  Committee  using  vacant  lots,  and  a 
Park  .Association  which  has  accomplished  much  that  is 
worth  while  with  small  funds.  The  planting  of  trees  is 
encouraged  by  neighborhood  associations,  but  the  city 
is  in   need  of  further  advice  as  to   the  best   method  ot 


172 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


accomplishment  in  this  field.  F^xtensive  plans  have  been 
prepared  tor  the  development  ot"  the  waterfront  tor  com- 
mercial and  industrial  uses.  Good  progress  has  been  made 
in  street  improvement.  The  Commissioner  ot  Public 
I'tilities,  I-em  J.  Kahn,  is  interested  particularly  in 
information  pertaining  to  park  systems,  the  grouping  of 
public  buildings,  laws  tor  city  planning,  and  procedure 
in  preparing  a  comprehensive  citv  plan. 

Sioux  City 

Iowa 

.■X  tew  years  ago  a  privately  organized  body  was  active 
in  city  planning  in  .Sioux  Citv  (57,078),  but  its  accomplish- 
ments were  limited.  Sioux  City  has  twenty  parks  with 
over  1,000  acres,  cSoo  of  which  are  in  Stone  Park.  The 
remaining  parks  have  an  area  varying  from  a  fourth  of  an 
acre  up  to  38  acres.  There  are  about  i,^  acres  of  water- 
front in  possession  of  the  city,  which  are  leased  for  com- 
mercial purposes  until  1924.  There  is  a  playground  super- 
intendent employed  by  the  city;  at  least  ten  pieces  of 
property  have  been  purchased  by  the  School  Board,  and  a 
portion  of  four  parks  has  been  set  aside  for  recreational 
purposes.  The  schools  are  used  as  community  centers  to 
quite  an  extent.  The  city  possesses  a  very  good  building 
code,  but  it  embodies  few  housing  restrictions. 

Somerville 

Massachusetts 

The  Planning  Hoard  of  Somerville  (87,039),  appointed 
under  authority  of  the  Massachusetts  Acts  of  Legislature 
(Chap.  494,  191J),  has  had  only  minimum  appropriations 
sufficient  to  meet  its  office  expense,  so  that  it  has  been 
unable  to  engage  experts  or  the  services  of  anv  assistants 


"^i"!---  I  ■      Mniiroe  .Street  Bridge  ami  Spokane  Fall 


competent  to  investigate  conditions  as  proposed  in  the 
.\ct.  The  Board  has  held  regular  meetings,  and,  as  a 
result  ot  the  limited  studv  which  it  has  been  able  to  give  to 
the  city's  planning  problems,  it  recommended  the  removal 
of  certain  unsanitary  and  run-down  buildings,  the  plant- 
ing ot  street  trees,  the  acquisition  of  areas  for  playgrounds, 
the  construction  of  a  boulevard  connecting  Somerville 
and  Cambridge  by  the  widening  of  one  of  the  present 
narrow  connecting  streets,  the  construction  of  a  cross- 
town  transit  line,  and  the  like. 

The  Board  has  given  special  consideration  to  housing 
problems  within  the  limits  ot  its  small  appropriation.  The 
more  stringent  regulation  of  sanitarv  and  social  features 
ot  tenement  house  lite  and  construction,  and  the  devel- 
opment ot  unused  land  along  the  Mystic  River  as  sites 
tor  industrial  plants  are  urged.  The  chief  need  of  the 
Board  is  a  more  adequate  appropriation  by  the  city  for 
its  work. 

Malcolm  F.  Sturtevant  is  chairman  of  the  Boaril. 

South  Bend 

Indiana 

Comprehensive  city  planning  in  South  Bend  (68,946) 
has  not  yet  been  agitated.  Civic  improvement  endeavors 
have  centered  about  the  development  of  the  park  system 
and  the  recreational  and  playground  features  of  the  city 
plan.  More  recently,  housing,  under  private  enterprise, 
has  received  a  decided  impetus.  In  191";,  103  acres  were 
added  to  the  park  system  by  the  purchase  of  the  Rum  Vil- 
lage Woods.  These  beautiful  woody  hills  immediately 
ailjoining  the  city  are,  with  the  river,  its  chief  civic  asset. 
They  serve  a  section  where  previously  there  had  been  no 
publicly  owned  property.  This  purchase,  with  a  smaller 
area  recently  acquired  on  West  Division  Street,  now  com- 
pletes a  chain  ot  parks  around  the  city,  which  will  event- 
ually be  connected  by  boulevards.  With  the  recent  pur- 
chases, the  city  now  has  366  acres  of  parks,  which,  in 
point  of  acreage,  is  nearly  adequate  for  the  present.  A 
boulevard  system  is  being  developed.  The  entire  plan  for 
the  park  system  is  being  carried  out  in  accordance  with  a 
scheme  laid  out  by  George  K.  Kessler,  landscape  archi- 
tect, ot  St.  Louis,  in  1912. 

Recreation. — In  a  little  over  two  years,  South  Bend  took 
first  rank  among  cities  ot  its  class  in  Indiana  for  up-to- 
date,  supervised  recreation.  This  recreational  develop- 
ment is  largely  the  result  of  the  social  center  work  begun 
five  years  ago  by  the  Social  Welfare  Committee  of  the 
Chamber  ot  Commerce.  This  Committee  decided  that  it 
was  atlvisable  to  have  an  expert  investigation  and  report. 
Funds  tor  a  recreational  survey  were  donated  bv  a  number 
of  citizens,  and  Francis  R.  North,  field  secretary  of  the 
Playground  Association  ot  America,  made  a  careful  sur- 
vey of  the  needs  and  facilities  of  the  city  and  a  detailed 
report,  including  recommendations  for  a  city-wide  sys- 
tem ot  recreational  and  educational  activities.  As  a  result 
ot  Mr.  North's  survey,  a  permanent  advisory  body  called 
"The  Municipal  Recreation  Committee,"  was  appointed 
in  1914,  whose  membership  represented  all  the  leading 
organizations  in  the  city.  F.  W.  Barnes,  of  Kansas  City, 
was  selected  as  director  of  recreation.   The  activities  ot  this 


CITY  im.anntnk;  pr()(;rf.ss 


17.3 


Cfmr(e^\    The  ,Anttrn(i7i  (  i/i 

Sl'KlM.HF.l  I).-    Tlic  SurxLV  l-,\liiliili(in. 

The  social- atui  sanitary  factors  in  the  civic  life  of  Springfield  were  accented  in  this  investigation.    Cit\  I'lannini;  surveys,  on  the 

ither  hand,  deal  to  a  much  larger  extent  with  the  physical  foundations  of  the  city's  life. 


Committee  have  more  than  measured  up  to  the  expecta- 
tions of  the  citizens  of  South  Bend.  A  new  element  has 
been  introduced  into  the  life  and  activity  of  the  city.  Some 
idea  of  the  extent  to  which  this  new  recreational  move- 
ment has  reacted  on  the  lives  ot  the  adults  and  children 
of  the  city  is  gained  by  the  total  tabulated  attendance  at 
all  the  municipal  recreational  activities  throughout  the 
year  1916,  namely,  one-third  ot  a  million  per.sons. 

Housing. — The  most  recent  civic  movement  is  the 
organization  ot  a  Housing  Committee  known  as  the  South 
Bend  Homes  Company,  consisting  ot  public-spirited 
citizens  whose  interests  were  affected  by  economic  con- 
ditions. This  Committee  was  organized  in  February, 
1917.  Krnest  VV.  Young,  architect,  of  South  Bend,  has 
made  a  report  and  prepared  a  tentative  scheme  tor  a  gen- 
eral housing  development  involving  collective  purchase, 
design,  development  and  control,  and  an  expenditure  ot 
f)ver  $500,000. 

Olhe?-  Results. — The  State  Housing  Law  enacted  two 
years  ago  is  in  force,  and  there  is  also  a  new  building  code 
which  was  recently  presented  and  adopted.  Plans  are  now 
being  completed  for  the  elimination  ot  grade  crossings, 
and  the  actual  work  of  elevation  of  the  New  York  Central 
tracks  will  be  begun  within  the  current  year.  This  will 
make  possible  the  imification  ot  railroad  stations,  a  fea- 
ture South  Bend  has  long  needed.  There  is  no  commercial 
waterfront,  but  the  river,  which  flows  through  the  city 
and  is  now  in  a  neglected  state,  is  to  be  useful  in  creating 
the  boulevard  system  hiiil  down  in  the  Kcssler  plan. 

Spokane 

Washington 

By  public  vote,  at  the  next  election,  the  people  of 
Spokane  (150,^23)  will  determine  whether  a  city  planning 


commission  is  to  be  appointed.  The  city  officials  have 
carefully  considered  the  proposition  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  city  planning  commission  and  have  concluded 
that  legal  difficulties  will  be  solved  ami  public  sentiment 
more  accurately  gauged  in  this  way.  It  the  people  favor 
the  proposal,  the  new  commission  will  have  powers  similar 
to  those  held  by  the  present  Park  Boarii,  except  that  it 
will  not  have  the  authority  to  spenil  or  appropriate  money 
tor  improvements,  but  it  will,  however,  be  authorized  to 
employ  city  planning  experts  to  prepare  a  compre- 
hensive plan. 

Parks. — Spokane  has  been  fortunate  in  the  acquisition 
of  a  splendid  group  of  parks  within  the  past  ten  years, 
aggregating  i,9,H  acres.  In  1907  there  were  only  17  j  acres; 
but  about  that  time  the  public  demand  tor  systematic 
planning  ot  public  parks,  by  an  authority  tree  from  political 
influence,  leil  to  the  organization  of  a  City  Beautiful  Com- 
mittee, umler  the  leadershiji  ot  .A.  I..  \\  hite.  The  efforts 
of  this  Committee  resulted  in  the  atioption,  by  popular 
vote,  in  May,  1907,  of  a  charter  amendment  placing  park 
matters  under  an  independent,  non-political  Board  of 
Park  Commissioners.  .\.  I..  White  was  appointed  chair- 
man and  has  served  in  that  capacity  since  that  time. 
Immediately  after  organization,  the  Park  Board  employed 
Olmsted  Brothers,  of  Brookline,  Mass.,  to  devise  a  plan 
for  a  complete  system  ot  parks  and  boulevards.  Their 
plan  anti  report  has  served  as  a  basis  tor  the  development 
of  the  parks  ot  .Spokane,  anil  many  acres  have  since  been 
acquired  in  accordance  therewith.  Much  remains  to  be 
done,  however,  in  the  improvement  of  undeveloped  parks 
and  playgrounds  and  in  linking  the  parks  and  open  spaces 
together  with  a  comprehensive  system  of  boulevartls,  as 
outlined  in  the  original  Olmsted  plan.  This  latter  work  is 
now  being  carried  out  gradually. 

The   Park   Repurl.      The   report  of  Olmsted    Brothers, 


■74 


CITY   PLANNING    FR0C;RP:SS 


which  covers  the  work  done  from  1891  to  191J,  is  pub- 
hshed  in  a  document  distributed  by  the  Park  Board  of 
Spokane.  The  Olmsted  report  is  interesting  as  a  city  plan- 
ning document  as  well  as  a  study  for  a  park  system.  It 
takes  up  matters  having  to  do  with  the  development  ot  the 
city  plan  along  broad  lines,  particularly  in  the  construc- 
tion of  diagonal  avenues,  the  rerouting  of  street  railway 
lines,  the  adjustment  of  steam  railroad  terminals  to  the 
city  plan,  better  subdivision  of  land,  the  provision  ot 
building-line  setbacks,  the  limitation  of  the  height  ot 
buildings,  and  the  like.  Unfortunately,  only  those  pro- 
posals relating  to  the  park  system  have  been  followed. 
Now  the  citizens  of  Spokane  are  beginning  to  realize  that 
park  development  was  but  one  step  in  the  direction  of 
comprehensive  city  planning,  and  the  Chamber  ot  Com- 
merce, the  Realty  Board,  the  Advertising  Club,  and  other 
organizations  have  appointed  committees  to  aid  the  move- 
ment for  the  appointment  of  a  comprehensive  city  plan- 
ning commission  as  outlined  above. 


Springfield. — The  Civic  Center,  Facing  Court  Square,  from 
the  Inception  of  Which  the  Civic  .'\wakening  Dates. 


Springfield 


Illinois 

The  survey,  as  a  prerequisite  to  city  planning  and  civic 
improvement,  is  now  generally  recognized  in  America. 
In  no  instance  has  it  received  a  more  thorough  trial  than 
in  Springfield  (59,618),  the  capital  city  of  Illinois.  Here, 
however,  the  investigation  and  findings  were  confined 
solely  to  the  social  and  sanitary  aspects  of  the  city's  lite, 
rather  than  to  the  strictly  physical  aspects  of  city  building. 

In  19IJ,  the  Springfield  Improvement  League  and  the 
Springfield   Survey    Committee  joined    in    engaging    the 


Department  of  Surveys  and  Exhibits  ot  the  Russell  Sage 
Foundation  to  survey  the  city.  The  sum  of  $6,000  was 
raised  locally  and  the  Foundation  itself  made  an  appro- 
priation for  this  purpose.  Nearly  one  dozen  small  pam- 
phlets were  issued,  covering  the  results  of  the  survey.  These 
reports  cover  many  matters  ot  vital  importance,  but  the 
two  most  interesting,  from  a  city  planning  standpoint,  are 
on  housing  (by  John  Ihlder)  and  on  sanitation  (by  Franz 
Schneider).  The  membership  of  the  Improvement  League 
has  since  been  increased  to  2,000,  and  its  usefulness  for  the 
advancement  of  the  best  interests  of  the  city  along  social 
and  sanitary  lines  has  been  greatly  augmented. 

C/'/v  Beaulificalioti. — .A  movement  is  now  on  toot  for 
the  grouping  ot  state  buildings,  tor  which  purpose  J  r 00,000 
has  been  raised  by  private  subscriptions  to  be  applied  to 
the  purchase  of  land.  This  movement  is  part  of  a  general 
program  for  city  beautification  in  connection  with  the 
Centennial  Celebration  to  be  held  in  1918.  .A  statue  of 
.Abraham  Lincoln  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas  will  be  unveiled 
on  the  capitol  grounds.  The  state  will  begin  the  erection  of 
a  Centennial  Memorial  Building  which  will  cost  about 
J  1,000,000.  There  will  be  many  other  features  ot  the  cele- 
bration, extensive  preparations  tor  which  are  being  made, 
including  repaving  of  streets,  erection  ot  an  ornamental 
lighting  system,  placing  underground  all  wires  in  the 
down-town  district,  and  a  general  program  tor  the  beau- 
tification of  the  city.  The  plans  involve  expenditure  on  the 
part  of  the  city  government,  private  corporations,  and 
individual  owners,  of  about  |i, 500,000.  George  H. 
Helmle,  architect,  is  active  in  both  housing  and  city 
planning  work,  and  Dr,  and  Mrs.  Geo.  T.  Palmer  are 
leaders  in  the  social  survey  activities. 

Springfield 

Massachusetts 

Springfield  (105,942)  has  long  been  recognized  as  one  of 
the  most  attractive  of  the  eastern  cities.  It  underwent  a 
civic  awakening  about  five  years  ago  when,  by  a  vote  of 
the  people,  a  bond  issue  for  a  group  ot  civic  buildings  was 
authorized.  .An  architectural  competition  was  held  tor 
the  selection  of  an  architect  and,  as  a  result,  a  plan  was 
adopted  and  carried  out  which  has  given  to  the  city  one  ot 
the  most  charming  groups  ot  civic  structures  possessed  by 
any  municipality  in  the  country.  Later  a  City  Planning 
Board  was  appointed  under  the  Massachusetts  Act  of 
1913,  which  has  been  one  of  the  most  active  ot  the  fifty- 
odd  boards  established  in  Massachusetts  under  this  law. 
It  has  issued  four  reports,  the  first  of  which  shows  a  broad 
appreciation  of  the  scope  ot  city  planning  work  and  the 
importance  ot  basing  work  on  souml  fundamental  data. 
The  Board  has  not  received  support  from  the  city  admin- 
istration in  keeping  with  the  importance  ot  the  work  which 
it  has  in  hand.  It  has  been  striving,  therefore,  to  secure  the 
backing  of  the  people  in  order  that  the  authorities  may  be 
induced  to  cooperate  with  it  in  carrying  out  its  proposals. 
The  Commission  secured  a  small  appropriation  in  1915 
and  engaged  F"rederick  Law  Olmsted  to  cooperate  with  it 
in  devising  adequate  approaches  to  the  city,  in  preparing 
plans  for  the  redemption  of  public  squares,  and  tor  the 
improvement  ot  the  waterfront. 


CITY    Pl.ANNINC.    PKlX.RKSS 


175 


Springfield 

Ohio 

A  slumbering  spirit  has  been  awakened  in  Springfieki 
(51,550),  since  the  beginning  of  the  new  year,  that  prom- 
ises to  develop  into  constructive  action,  looking  to  the 
preparation  ot  some  comprehensive  plan  for  the  t(jwn.  Thf 
Chamber  ot  Commerce,  ot  which  Don  Siddle  is  secretary, 
has  appointed  a  Committee  to  consider  the  detailed  organi- 
zation ot  an  effort  tor  city  planning.  Up  to  this  time,  city 
planning  in  Springfield  and  investigations  along  these  lines 
have  not  been  undertaken,  Init  it  is  believed  that  the  work 
will  progress  with  the  backing  ot  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. Harry  S.  Kissel,  member  of  the  City  Planning 
Committee  of  the  American  Civic  Association,  is  one  of  the 
live  and  interested  supporters  ot  city  planning. 

Stamford 

Connecticut 

A  movement  to  secure  an  ofHcuil  city  planning  com- 
mission in  Stamford  (35,119)  has  been  vigorously  agitated 
by  members  ot  the  Civic  Federation  ot  Stamford,  ot  which 
Herbert  F.  Sherwood  is  president.  For  two  years  the 
Mayor  of  the  city,  also,  has  urged  upon  the  City  Council 
the  desirability  ot  its  taking  favorable  action  on  this 
matter,  and  it  would  seem  that  Stamford  was  actually 
going  to  begin  city  planning  work  before  long. 

Housing. — There  has  been  organized  recently  a  Housing 
Committee,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Associated  Charities, 
which  is  now  raising  funds  to  enable  it  to  engage  advisers 
for  the  work  it  has  in  view.  The  Committee,  with  the 
cooperation  of  local  capitalists,  is  directing  its  efforts 
toward  the  erection  of  about  100  model  cottages  for  work- 
men, a  site  tor  which  has  been  secured. 

Parks  and  Rearalion. — Stamford  has  only  89  acres  ot 
parks,  an  area  quite  inadequate  for  a  city  of  its  size.  The 
chief  park  fronts  on  the  Sound,  and  the  city  is  considering 
the  acquisition  of  another  riverside  reservation  with  con- 
necting boulevards.  \'arious  associations  of  the  city  are 
using  the  schoolhouses  as  social  centers,  giving  plays  and 
dances.  At  the  expense  of  the  city,  also,  several  summer 
playgrounds  have  been  maintained  on  school  premises 
under  trained  direction.  A  recreation  center,  with  a  paid 
director,  is  maintained  by  the  Associated  Charities  in  its 
own  building,  and  it  is  intended  to  extend  this  by  utilizing 
the  schoolhouses  also. 

Transportation. — The  grade  crossing  problem  in  Stam- 
ford is  not  serious.  There  is  a  very  good  station  and 
approaches  on  the  main  line  of  the  New  Haven  Railroad. 
Waterfront  facilities  for  commercial  purposes  have  been 
developed  to  some  extent,  the  boat  plying  daily  between 
New  York  and  Stamford  carrying  freight  chiefly  for  local 
manufacturers.  The  restriction  of  building  heights  is  now 
under  consideration. 

Stockton 

California 

In  his  recent  message  to  the  Cit\'  Council,  the  Mayor 
of  Stockton  (35,358)  urged  that  the  council  take  action 


towaril  having  a  comprtherisivc  plan  nl  the  city  prepared. 
Supporting  the  Mayor  is  the  Stockton  Chaml)er  of  Com- 
merce, of  which  J.  P.  Irish,  Jr.,  is  secretary,  one  ot  the 
live  commercial  organizations  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  The 
California  State  Law  of  1915  on  city  planning  permits 
cities  in  the  state  to  undertake  city  planning  on  a  broaii 
scale. 

The  project  with  which  Stockton  is  most  conccVned  at 
the  present  time  and  on  which  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce has  been  working  is  the  deepening  and  widening  ot 
Stockton  Channel  and  the  San  Joaquin  River,  with  the 
ultimate  object  of  providing  a  channel  20  feet  deep  and 
300  feet  wide  from  Stockton  to  the  sea.  This  route  is  50 
miles  long,  and  its  terminus  is  at  the  Golden  Ciate  entrance 
of  San  Francisco  Bay.  .\  full  description  of  this  problem 
is  contained  in  "Ports  of  the  United  States,"  Bulletin 
No.  23,  Miscellaneous  Series,  Bureau  ot  Foreign  and 
Domestic  Commerce. 

Stockton  has  a  limited  park  area — about  50  acres  in 
all — which  is  much  too  small  for  a  city  of  its  size.  Its 
playground  system  is  under  the  control  of  a  Playground 
Commission,  of  which  Mrs.  C.  M.  Jackson  is  president. 
The  schoolgrounds  and  buildings  are  extensively  used  tor 
this  purpose.  The  housing  situation  in  Stockton  is  not 
under  any  direct  control,  but  is,  of  course,  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  State  Commission  on  Immigration  and  Hous- 
ing. Joseph  Losekann,  president  of  the  San  Joaquin  \"ailey 
.■\ssociation  of  .Architects,  was  largely  responsible  for  the 
present  building  ordinance. 

Syracuse 

New  York 

"The  City  Sensible,"  has  been  the  watchword  ot  the 
City  Planning  Commission  of  Syracuse  (155,624).  The 
Commission  has  tried  throughout  its  existence  to  work 
hand  in  hand  with  the  city  fathers,  the  men  who  must 
furnish  the  money  for  the  things  they  desire  to  see  carried 
through.  The  Commission  has  taken  the  stand,  also,  that 
the  business  man  in  the  community,  the  man  interested  in 
making  the  city  a  good  and  comfortable  place  to  live  in 
and  to  do  business  in,  was  the  one  whom  the  Conmiission 
should  interest. 

Chamber  of  Comment-  Committee. — .About  five  years 
ago,  the  City  Planning  Committee  of  the  Chamber  ot 
Commerce  was  the  active  body  in  city  planning  work. 
This  Committee,  of  which  .Albert  1..  Brockway  was  chair- 
man, found  that  one  of  the  problems  which  needed 
immediate  attention  was  the  bad  and  uncontrolled  sub- 
division of  land — the  fact  that  districts  in  the  outlying 
portions  of  the  city  and  in  the  territory  immediately 
adjoining  the  central  built-up  areas  were  being  subdivided 
by  real  estate  speculators  without  regard  to  the  extension 
of  main  avenues  or  arteries  ot  circulation.  The  Committee 
went  to  work  and  had  a  bill  prepared  and  passed  i>y  the 
legislature,  which  made  it  obligatory  tor  those  subdividing 
land  to  submit  a  map  in  order  to  have  their  subdivisions 
accepted  by  the  city,  and  not  only  within  the  city  limits, 
but  within  3  miles  of  those  limits;  that  map  to  be  tiled 
with  the  Count)  Clerk,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the 
city  engineer. 


176 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


<f.^  ••  -^ 


Courtesy  Tbe  Munictjial  Journal 

Syracuse. — Plan  Commission's  Scheme  tor  New  Thorough- 
fare and  Street  System  about  the  Harlior  Basin. 

Thf  Comniisjioa. — In  igij,  the  City  Planning  Com- 
mittee ot  the  Chamber  ol  Commerce  submitted  to  the 
Mayor  a  proposed  bill  providing  for  the  creation  of  a  city 
planning  commission  as  a  new  department  of  the  municipal 
government.  This  bill  was  approved  by  the  Mayor,  was 
taken  to  the  legislature  and  made  into  a  law.  The  city  ot 
Syracuse  thereupon  appointed  a  City  Planning  Commis- 
sion. Now  matters  referring  to  the  subdivision  of  land 
are  submitted  to  the  City  Planning  Commission,  and  the 
latter  now  has  the  extension  ot  the  city  completely  under 
its  control. 

The  Commission  on  its  appointment  was  authorized  to 
employ  an  expert.  The  Commission  engaged  Clarence  E. 
Howard,  of  Chicago,  who  had  formerly  been  working  with 
Daniel  H.  Burnham  and  E.  H.  Bennett.  Mr.  Howard  has 
been  with  the  Commission  for  the  past  three  years,  study- 
ing the  various  problems  that  have  come  up  and  working 
out  plans  tor  their  solution. 

Work  of  the  Commission. — The  Commission,  among 
other  things,  has  been  preparing  an  official  map  of  the  city 
and  has  been  studying  the  questions  ot  rapid  transit, 
playgrounds,  the  extension  of  the  park  system  (plans  of 
which  were  originally  drawn  by  George  E.  Kessler  of  St. 
Louis),  and  the  revision  of  the  layout  of  railway  property 
in  the  city.  Syracuse  is  known  to  those  who  have  been 
there  as  the  city  in  the  United  States  where  the  principal 
railroad  right  of  way  runs  through  the  main  street  at  the 
level  ot  the  pavement,  and  this  is  one  of  the  problems  to 
which  the  Commission  has  given  earnest  consideration. 
It  has  submitted  plans  to  the  city  officials  for  opening  new 
streets  and  extending  old  ones  in  a  district  which  is  to  be 
served   by   the   new   barge   canal    terminal,   with   proper 


street  connections  with  the  city  center.  This  plan  has 
been  officially  approved  by  the  Commission  and  city 
officials.  The  whole  scheme  is  part  ot  a  program  tor  the 
industrial  development  ot  the  terminal  section  and  has 
the  active  hacking  ot  commercial  organizations  in  the  city. 

Work  in  Phoenix. — In  November,  191^1,  the  Commis- 
sion cooperated  with  the  officials  ot  the  town  ot  Phoenix, 
N.  Y.,  in  the  replanning  ot  the  burned  section  ot  the  city, 
and  Mr.  Howard  prepared  a  unique  scheme  for  the 
rebuilding  of  a  central  area  in  which  all  property  owners 
have  been  asked  to  cooperate.  This  scheme  calls  for  the 
entire  revision  of  the  present  lot  lines  and  has  the  unusual 
feature  of  providing  a  central  court,  accessible  to  traffic 
from  the  surrouniling  streets,  on  which  stores  and  shops 
will  front. 

Railroads. — Bion  J.  Arnold,  of  Chicago,  recently  sub- 
mitted a  report  on  the  elimination  ot  railroad  grade  cross- 
ings which,  as  noted  above,  is  one  of  the  most  pressing 
problems  with  which  the  city  is  confronted.  A  feature  of 
Mr.  .Arnold's  recommendations  is  a  plan  for  the  revision 
of  street  lines  and  ot  transportation  rights  ot  way,  to 
accommodate  expected  city  growth.  This  includes  the 
placing  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  tracks  from  the 
east  in  the  bed  ot  the  old  Erie  Canal  and  from  the  west  on 
the  West  Shore  Railroad  right  of  way.  The  plan  calls  for 
a  new  station  for  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  and  the 
conversion  of  the  present  New  York  Central  Station  into 
an  interurban  trolley  station  and  public  market.  The  cost 
ot  the  New  York  Central  work  is  estimated  at  S6,ooo,ooo. 

The  City  Planning  Commission  now  finds  that  the 
Mayor  and  the  Common  Council  heartily  endorse  such 
projects  as  it  submits  for  approval,  and  that  the  authori- 
ties call  upon  the  Commission  tor  advice  betore  taking 
steps  in  carrying  out  municipal  improvements  ot  city- 
wide  importance. 

Tacoma 

Washington 

Tacoma  (112,770)  is  called  "The  City  of  Parks." 
She  is,  in  fact,  set  in  a  vast  natural  park,  with  America's 
highest  and  most  majestic  mountain  in  its  immediate 
foreground.  The  beautiful  waters  ot  Puget  Sound  form 
the  boundary  ot  part  ot  the  city,  and  the  rugged  wall  of 
the  mighty  Olympic  range  serves  as  a  background.   There 


Tacoma. — Wright   Park,  Occupying  about   2X   -'Kcres   at   the 
Crest  of  a  Gentle  Rise  in  the  Heart  of  the  City. 


CITY    PLANNING   PRCKJRKSS 


I 


// 


are  twenty-thrcL-  parks  under  control  of'  the  metropolitan 
park  district  of  Tacoma,  a  board  of  five  commissioners,  of 
which  Frederick  Heath,  architect,  is  president.  The  parks 
have    a    total    acreage   of    1,114.     Point    Defiance    Park, 


I'jt  "HI  oothurtKHr 
11NM  wrwAd  RWK 


■  r"  I.' 


Tacoma. — Point  Defiance  Park  (638  acres),  Bounded  on  Three 
Sides  by  Puget  Sound. 

Tacoma  is  set  in  a  vast  natural  park,  ot  which  the  rugged  wall 
of  the  mighty  Olympic  Range  forms  the  background. 

formerly  a  Government  reservation,  with  over  6j8  acres 
and  a  waterfront  ot  approximately  4  miles,  is  a  natural 
park  bounded  on  three  sides  by  Puget  Sound.  From  it, 
views  of  sea  and  mountain  and  harbor  stretch  out  in  a 
never-ending  panorama.  But  the  park  system  of  Tacoma 
has  never  been  fully  developed,  and  no  plans  tor  the 
extension  of  the  system  are  under  consideration.  No 
boulevards  or  parkways  connecting  the  various  parks 
now  laid  out  or  proposed  have  been  constructed,  although 
plans  for  about  18  miles  ot  parkway  have  been  drawn. 


Tacoma. — View  of  Olympic  Range  from  Point  Defiance  P.irk. 

There  are  1,114  acres  of  parks  in  the  possession  ot  the  city,  but 
there  is  a  large  amount  of  work  yet  to  be  done  to  create  a  real 
park  system. 

A  comprehensive  city  plan,  the  so-called  Olmsted  plan, 
was  adopted  by  the  Tacoma  Land  Company  which  laid 
out  the  city.  This  plan,  while  admirable  in  many  respects, 
was  practically  abandoned  in  the  course  of  actual  develop- 
ment. Spaces  left  for  public  use  were  built  upon  and  prac- 
tically no  provisions  for  future  development  that  might 


in  any  way  be  called  comprehensive  have  since  been  made, 
except  in  certain  industrial  and  commercial  areas  where 
considerable  foresight  has  iieen  shown.  Today  there  is 
no  commission,  committee,  or  improvement  society 
engaged  in  city  planning  or  projiagandist  work  tor  citv 
planning. 

Tacoma  is  a  sinpping,  commercial  and  industrial  citv, 
and  the  terminus  ot  several  important  transcontinental 
lines.  She  has  one  ot  the  really  fine  harbors  of  the  world 
and  is  gradually  developing  needed  facilities  there,  as 
commerce  and  industry  require  and  in  accordance  with  a 
comprehensive  port  plan  laid  down  many  years  ago.  With 
the  coming  of  new  industrial  concerns  to  the  city,  streets 
must  be  extended  and  utilities  provided.  .Already  a 
reclamation  project  of  large  proportions  is  being  carricti 
out  in  the  area  known  as  the  Tide  Flats.  A  water  trans- 
portation project  between  Tacoma  and  Seattle,  pro- 
viding tor  the  deepening,  straightening,  and  revetting  of 
the  Puyallup  River  tor  20  miles  is  being  pushed  forward. 
I'reight  railroad  terminals  are  generously  planned,  with 
provision  tor  immense  extensions;  grade  crossings  are 
being  eliminated,  and  large  sums  have  been  spent  on 
buildings  and  grounds  tor  passenger  terminals,  but  there 
has  been  no  real  unification  or  coordination  of  such 
tacilities. 

I'rederick  Heath  and  (ieorge  (jove,  architects,  the 
former,  president  of  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners, 
have  consistently  fostered  the  movement  tor  better  city 
planning. 

Taunton 

Massachusetts 

The  City  Planning  Board  of  Taunton  (56,28!) 
appointed  by  the  Mayor  in  January,  1914,  under  the 
Massachusetts  .Act  of  191.I,  has  made  several  contribu- 
tions to  constructive  planning,  notably  in  securing  the 
widening  ot  the  principal  avenue  approach  from  the  rail- 
way station  to  the  center  of  the  city  and  by  the  establish- 
ment of  a  huilding-linc.  The  Board  has  been  working  under 
various  handicaps,  and  with  an  appropriation  of  only 
3700  a  year,  ;?4Cxd  of  which  has  been  expended  for  expert 
advice,  the  sum  of  its  accomplishments  is  not  very  large. 
It  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  proper  performance  of  the 
work  of  the  Board  that  it  have  the  cooperation  of  the 
officials  and  of  the  general  public,  and  a  more  specific 
definition  ot  its  duties. 

lerre  Haute 

Iiiiliana 

The  <me  step  that  has  been  taken  in  Terre  Haute 
(6(),o8j)  toward  comprehensive  planning  was  started 
about  three  years  ago  when  George  K.  Kessler,  of  St. 
I.ouis,  made  a  tentative  plan  tor  the  ilevelopment  of  a 
riverside  park,  but  the  work  has  never  progressed  beyond 
that  stage.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which  K.  H. 
Clifford  is  secretary,  is  interested  in  the  furtherance  of 
citv  planning  work. 


178 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRP:SS 


Toledo. — \eighL>orhoud  Center  as  Proposed,  at  the  Entrance 
1,280  Acres,  of  Which  400  Acres  Have  Been  Set  Aside  for  Parks  an 

Toledo 

Ohio 

Under  a  provision  ot  the  charter  ot  the  city  of  Toledo 
(191,554),  the  Mayor  has  authority  to  appoint  a  city  plan- 
ning commission  with  power  to  control  the  design  and 
location  of  works  of  art,  to  advise  on  the  planning,  design 
and  location  of  public  buildings  and  other  public  struc- 
tures, and  to  pass  upon  the  platting  of  streets  and  other 


to  Ottawa  Hills,  a  Heavily  Restricted  Residential  Development  ot 
d  Playgrounds. 

pare  general  plans  tor  submission  to  the  public.  This 
Commission  did  a  great  deal  ot  intelligent  work  and  finally 
called  upon  Arnold  W.  Brunner,  ot  New  York,  and  Mills, 
Rhines,  Bellman,  &  NordhofF,  architects,  ot  Toledo,  to 
prepare  plans  tor  a  city  hall  to  be  placed  within  the  area 
later  to  be  designated  by  the  Commission  as  the  proper 
place  tor  a  civic  center.  The  city  has  not  yet  acquired  the 
ground  recommended  by  the  Commission,  though  there 
is  more  likelihood  ot  its  doing  so  at  the  present  time  than 
at  any  time  in  the  past.    The  plans  for  the  city  hall  were 


Courtesy  The  American  City 

Toledo. — The  .Art  Museum.    Green  and  Wicks,  .Architects. 
A  building  such  as  this  will  stir  civic  pride  and  exert  an  Influence  toward  higher  ideals  of  civic  accomplishment. 


public  places.  The  duties  of  the  Commission  also  include 
the  preparation  ot  a  plan  for  the  future  physical  develop- 
ment of  the  city.  The  Planning  Commission  was  appointed 
in  1915. 

Civic  Center. — About  1910,  under  former  Mayor  Brantl 
Whitlock,  a  commission  was  appointed  to  make  recom- 
mendations on  the  location  of  a  civic  center  and  to  pre- 


made  in  detail,  and  the  city  has  already  paid  approxi- 
mately 5(30,000  in  architectural  fees,  but  at  no  time  was  a 
printed  report  of  the  proceedings  of  this  Committee  sub- 
mitted, nor  any  drawings  of  the  proposed  civic  center  and 
the  grouping  ot  buildings  therein  made.  Recently,  how- 
ever, Mills,  Rhines,  Bellman  &  NordhofF  have  made  a 
tentative  civic  center  plan,  tor  the  purpose  ot  assisting 


CITY    PLANNING   PRUCiRKSS 


179 


the  present  City  Flan  Commission  in  determining  cer- 
tain points  in  connection  with  the  erection  of  public 
buildings. 

Parks. — Parks,  phiygroiinds,  and  comnumitv  center 
work  have  recently  been  placed  in  charge  ot  a  new  depart- 
ment of  the  city  government,  the  Department  of  Public 
Welfare,  and  this  Department  is  now  constructing  a  por- 
tion ot  the  park  system  according  to  definite  plans  laid 
out  for  this  purpose. 

Housing. — The  Ottawa  Hills  development,  which  is 
being  carried  out  by  the  E.  H.  Close  Realty  Company,  ot" 
which  Paul  A.  Harsch,  a  member  of  the  City  Planning 
Commission,  is  vice-president,  is  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing planning  enterprises  in  Toledo.  The  whole  tract  con- 
tains 1,280  acres  and  400  acres  have  been  dedicated  to 
public  purposes  and  will  be  equipped  as  parks,  playgrounds, 
golt-courses,  athletic  fields,  and  the  like.  The  plan  was 
carefully  drawn,  and  restrictions  are  imposeti,  so  that 
eventually  Ottawa  Hills  will  rank  with  Roland  Park, 
Baltimore,  the  Country  Club  District  in  Kansas  City, 
Forest  Hills  Gardens  on  Long  Island,  and  Shaker  Heights 
in  Cleveland,  as  an  example  of  modern  principles  of  town 
plannmg  applied  to  private  developments.  John  North 
Willys  is  the  promoter  of  the  Ottawa  Hills  undertaking. 
John  J.  Watson  is  supervising  the  work  ot  development 
and  has  had  the  advice  of  Frederick  Law  Olmsted  as 
consultant. 

Topeka 

Kansas 

A  partial  city  plan  for  Topeka  (48,726)  was  made  in 
lyij  by  Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  ot  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
tor  the  Civic  Improvement  Committee  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  .Although  the  report  has  never  been  published, 
and  no  large  projects  have  been  carried  out  in  accordance 
with  the  plans  submitted,  certain  greatly  needed  improve- 
ments in  details  of  the  city  plan  as  proposed  in  the  repor, 
have  been  consummated;  namely,  the  installation  ot  a 
boulevard  lighting  system,  the  paving  ot  certain  streets, 
and  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  park  spaces. 
The  Chamber  ot  Commerce  is  planning  to  publish  the 
report  and  then  to  distribute  copies  of  it  among  the  people 
of  Topeka.  It  is  believed  that  the  big  recommendaticjns 
will  appeal  to  the  citizens  of  Topeka  and  that,  it  they  are 
given  a  chance  to  study  them,  they  will  cooperate  in  some 
constructive  movement  for  comprehensive  planning. 

Topeka  is  the  capital  of  Kansas.  The  State  House 
Square,  a  very  attractive  reservation  of  20  acres,  lies  close 
to  the  business  section  and  is  surrounded  on  three  sides 
by  the  residential  district.  The  streets  generally  are 
lined  with  fine  shade  trees,  and  have  sidewalks  with 
ample  grass-plots.  The  city  has  240  acres  of  city-owned 
parks  and  playgrounds. 

In  Mav,  1914,  the  Department  ot  Surveys  and  F,x- 
hibits  of  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation  submitted  a  report 
on  the  public  health  situation  in  Topeka,  made  by  Franz 
Schneider,  Jr.,  of  the  staff  of  the  Department,  with  the 
cooperation  of  state  and  city  governmental  departments, 
in  which  numerous  diagrams,  illustrations  and  full  sta- 
tistical data  were  used  to  illustrate  and  support  the  find- 
ings.   The  evidence  is  convincing  that  Topeka  needs  to 


eliminate  a  number  of  objectional  and  unsanitary  condi- 
tions by  the  extension  and  improvement  o(  the  sewer 
system,  the  eradication  of  wells  arul  privies  through  police 
restriction,  condenuiation,  publicity,  and  so  on.  The 
public  health  situation  in  Topeka  is,  according  to  the 
report,  one  of  gooil  natural  resources,  fair  development  ot 
material  sanitary  improvements,  and  the  neglect  ot 
modern  methods  ot  administrative  control. 

Trenton 

New  Jersey 

A  City  Planning  Commission  was  appointed  in  Tren- 
ton (1  I  i,5Ty)  by  the  Mayor,  Hon.  Frederick  W.  Donnelly, 
in  Kjii.  This  Conmiission  was  composed  ot  twenty-five 
representative  citizens,  of  whom  at  least  fifteen  were  ex- 
perienced in  one  or  more  of  the  technical  phases  ot  city 
[ilanning.  \V.  F.  Sadler,  deceased,  was  chairman,  and 
Kdmund  C.  Hill,  secretary.  The  Commission  held  fre- 
quent meetings,  made  investigations  into  a  number  of 
problems  submitted  for  its  consideration,  and  undertook, 
on  its  own  initiative,  the  preparation  of  plans  tor  the 
solution  ot  other  important  problems,  notably  those  hav- 
ing to  do  with  transportational  facilities.  Mayor  DonnelU' 
appreciated  the  work  of  the  Planning  Commission  and 
gave  his  support  to  it,  but  the  City  Commissioners  as  a 
whole  were  not  in  favor  ot  its  proposals,  ami  so  practically 
all  of  these  were  vetoed.  The  Commission  has  since  dis- 
solved. 

Results. — Out  (it  the  interest  aroused  by  the  activities 
ot  the  City  Planning  Commission,  there  have  come  cer- 
tain desirable  improvements  and  plans  tor  improvement. 
Charles  W.  Leavitt,  of  New  York,  was  engaged  by  the 
city,  in  1914,  to  make  studies  and  recommendations  on 
specific  projects.  His  plans  were  submitted  in  a  report 
which  has  not  yet  been  pulilished,  antl  which  dealt  with 
the  improvement  of  the  riverfront,  the  acquisition  ot  land 
on  Assanpink  Creek,  the  improvement  ot  the  site  ot  an 
abandoned  city  reservoir  by  converting  it  into  a  recre- 
ation field,  and  so  on.  On  the  whole,  the  city  has  accom- 
plished a  great  amount  ot  good  work  since  the  City  Plan- 
ning Commission  ceased  its  activities.  The  riverfront  now 
belongs  entirely  to  the  city,  and  much  ot  it  has  been  im- 
proved. .About  a  mile  of  land  on  one  side  of  .Assanpink 
Creek,  belonging  to  the  city,  is  being  laid  out  tor  park 
purposes  under  the  direction  ot  John  W.  Thomp.son,  ot 
Trenton. 

Civic  Center  and  Traffic  Square. — .A  civic  center  project 
is  being  agitated  by  various  bodies.  It  is  proposed  that 
the  creek  above  referred  to  be  arched  over  in  the  central 
section  of  the  city  and  that  a  general  civic  center  project 
be  developed  above.  City  Commissioner  (jeorge  B.  La- 
Barre,  Director  of  Public  Safety,  has  made  a  detailed  and 
exhaustive  study  ot  plans  tor  the  rebel  ot  congestion  in  the 
central  business  liistrict.  In  January  of  this  year  he  sub- 
mitted a  plan  for  a  great  city  square.  His  plan  requires 
the  purchase  of  all  property  privately  owned  within  an 
area  forming  a  rectangle,  195  feet  by  .i.io  feet.  The  cost 
of  this  improvement  will  be  ;?8oo,ooo.  It  would  involve 
the  clearance  of  land  which,  with  buildings,  has  a  value  ot 
#500,000.     The  I.aBarre  plan   would  provide  a   terminus 


i8o 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


and  turning-place  tor  sulnirban  trolley  lines,  a  site  for 
two  public  comfort  stations,  a  trolley  waiting-room  So 
feet  square,  a  trolley  station  platform  250  feet  long,  a 
driveway,  ample  sidewalk  space,  ami  a  cabstand. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  has  been  a  steady  supporter 
of  every  movement  of  this  sort,  and  William  A.  Klea- 
mann,  architect  and  former  member  of  the  City  Planning 
Commission,  and  other  architects,  have  rendered  service. 

Troy 

New  York 

A  complete  reorganization  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce of  Troy  in  1916  is  expected  to  result  in  giving  new 
vigor  to  the  city  planning  movement  in  that  city.  In 
19IJ,  the  Chamber  was  ail  but  successful  when  it  started 
a  campaign  for  general  civic  improvement  and  city  plan- 
ning. At  that  time  various  committees  gathered  full 
information  on  city  planning  progress  from  more  than  forty 
cities  in  .America  to  determine  their  best  line  of  action. 
Then  the  Municipal  .Affairs  and  Civic  Arts  Committee 
of  the  Chamber  conducted  an  "Ask  the  People  Campaign" 
in  which  selected  questions,  embracing  many  forms  of 
city  welfare  and  city  planning,  were  mailed  to  thousands 
of  people.  The  answers  to  them  were  tabulated  to  obtain 
a  full  analysis  of  public  opinion  on  matters  pertaining  to 
civic  improvement  and  city  planning.    As  a  result  of  this 


opinion,  but  the  people  of  Troy  were  given  a  new  view  of 
the  possibilities  for  civic  advance,  which  it  is  the  intention 
of  the  reorganized  Chamber  of  Commerce  to  capitalize 
in  the  new  program  referred  to  above. 

Public  Improvement  Cammissioii. — Quite  the  most  re- 
markable constructive  city  planning  effort  that  Troy  has 
known  is  that  undertaken  in  1889  by  the  Public  Improve- 
ment Commission,  authorized  by  an  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture. This  was  composed  of  five  citizens  appointed  by  the 
Mayor.  Palmer  C.  Ricketts,  now  president  of  the  Rens- 
selaer Polytechnic  Institute  of  Troy,  was  the  chairman. 
This  Commission  drew  plans  for  large  areas  and  made 
provisions  for  streets,  sewers  and  other  public  improve- 
ments, and  filed  maps  with  the  city.  These  have  ever  since 
been  followed  and  have  served  as  valuable  guides  for  all 
succeeding  administrations.  Unfortunately,  however,  the 
Commission  was  short-lived,  owing  largely  to  political 
conditions.    It  was  a  pioneer  movement. 

Housing  and  Building. — In  housing  for  workingmen, 
nothing  has  been  accomplished  in  Troy.  There  is  one 
interesting  subdivision  now  being  completed  on  a  75-acre 
tract,  under  private  control,  which  will  provide  homes  for 
people  of  moderate  means  and  will  contain  park  features 
similar  to  the  best  layouts  in  other  cities.  However,  fol- 
lowing the  1913  movement  for  a  better  city  building,  the 
authorities  appointed  a  committee  on  which  Edward  B. 
Loth,  architect,  served,  to  prepare  a  complete  building 
code  and  one  which  would  include  adequate  provision  for 


Trov.— Pla.i  f( 


or  a  V-ivic 


Cente 


survey,  a  very  interesting  report,  emphasizing  the  various 
needs  and  opportunities  for  city  development  in  Troy, 
was  published  and  definite  recommendations  presented 
therein  on  which  to  begin  a  big  and  constructive  move- 
ment. The  principal  recommendation  called  for  the  ap- 
pointment by  the  city  officials  of  a  committee  of  fifteen 
to  be  known  as  the  "New  Troy  Committee,"  to  serve  for 
a  period  of  five  years  and  to  study  the  better  planning  and 
development  of  the  city  along  social,  recreational,  civic, 
and  industrial  lines.  Various  difficulties  arose  that  pre- 
vented a   full  development  of  this  expression  of  public 


housing  control.  The  code  as  prepared,  adoptetl,  and  now 
in  force  contains  a  number  of  notable  provisions,  particu- 
larly with  reference  to  the  restriction  of  neighborhoods  to 
certain  uses,  with  the  joint  action  of  property  owners,  the 
prevention  of  tvpes  of  building  construction  architectu- 
rally inferior  to  the  surrounding  structures,  and  the  like. 
Tj'oy  Housing  Associatioyi. — The  appointment  of  the 
Committee  which  drafted  the  present  code  was  partly  the 
outgrowth  of  agitation  for  a  state  housing  law.  About 
five  years  ago  an  organization  known  as  the  Troy  Hous- 
ing Association  was  formed  and  cooperated  with  similar 


CITY    PLANNING    i'RCX.RhSS 


iSl 


organizations  which  had  been  organized  in  other  second 
class  cities  in  New  York  state  under  the  guidance  of  the 
National  Housing  Association.  The  Troy  Housing  Asso- 
ciation raised  ^500  to  prosecute  the  work  ot"  securing  ade- 
quate laws  for  the  control  ot"  housing.  The  state  law  that 
was  passed  was  subsequently  repealed,  and  it  was  ini- 
nieiliatcly    following    that    repeal    that    the   citv   of  Trov 


"<C.  "•%3^|^^| 

fROV. — Bcliia:i  I'.uL. 
The  city's  parks  are  loosely  connected  and  widely  scattereil. 
Houlevards  have  been  projected  but  not  laid  out. 

proceeded  to  revise  its  building  and  housing  code.  Many 
ot  the  material  requirements  of  the  State  Housing  Law 
were  adopted  in  the  Committee's  building  code. 

Recreation. — Recreation  facilities  and  parks  have  not 
been  laid  out  according  to  any  big  or  comprehensive  plan. 
Playgrounds  have  been  instituted  in  various  parts  of  the 
city  under  the  auspices  ot  the  Civic  League,  a  women's 
organization.  Schools  are  used  to  a  limited  extent  for 
meetings  and  recreation.  .\  beginning  has  been  made  in 
the  use  ot  vacant  lots  for  school  gardens.  The  city  has 
not  yet    made    any   forehanded   purchases   of  areas    tor 

Parks. — Trov  has  made  only  limited  reservations  for 
park  properties,  and  those  that  exist  are  loosely  connected 
and  widely  scattered;  boulevards  have  been  planned  and 
projected  but  are  not  yet  developed.  There  are  no  water- 
front parks.  Prospect  Park,  on  an  elevation  in  the  heart 
ot  the  city,  has  80  acres,  and  there  are  a  number  of  smaller 
parks  and  five  playgrounds.  G.  D.  Baltimore,  who  was 
very  active  on  the  Municipal  Affairs  and  Civic  .'^rts  Com- 
mittee of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  was  for  many  years 
actively  in  charge  of  the  parks. 

The  Problems. — Suggestions  have  been  made  for  a 
civic  center  plan,  but  these  have  not  yet  merited  official 
favor.  No  scheme  has  been  worked  out  tor  the  unification 
of  railroad  terminals  or  for  the  elimination  of  grade  cross- 
ings. A  Dock  Commission  has  been  organized  antl  is 
planning  to  expend  several  millions  of  dollars  in  the  im- 
provement of  the  waterfront.  Public  terminals  have  been 
planned,  and  the  land  for  the  construction  of  these  has 
been  condemned.  The  time  is  ripe  for  beginning  a  cam- 
paign that  will  lead  to  the  appointment  ot  an  official  city 
planning  commission. 


Tulsa 
Oklahoma 

In  October,  iyl6,  the  City  Club  of  Tulsa  (.!0,575) 
appointed  a  committee  on  city  planning  to  determine  a 
program  ot  action  for  securing  a  comprehensive  citv  plan. 
It  has  found  its  chief  task,  however,  to  be  that  of  awaken- 
ing local  interest  in  city  planning.  Incidentally,  it  has 
made  a  study  of  and  submitted  recommendations  for  the 
acquirement  of  certain  properties  to  be  useil  as  a  public 
square  or  common.  George  Winkler,  member  of  the 
.American  Institute  of  .Architects,  is  interested  in  this  work. 

The  city  has  a  commission  known  as  the  Park  Boanl, 
supported  by  public  appropriations.  This  Board  has 
under  its  protection  five  public  parks  and  playgrounds 
developed  with  little  of  landscape  or  architectural  inter- 
est. Emulating  the  example  of  a  number  of  western 
cities,  like  Des  Moines  and  Davenport,  Tulsa  is  in  the 
miilst  of  agitation  for  the  building  of  a  boulevard  along 
the  riverfront  for  a  distance  of  about  5  miles. 

The  railroad  situation  is  particularly  bad,  the  water- 
front is  undeveloped,  streets  receive  a  fair  amount  of 
attention,  and  civic  art  and  coninuinity  centers  are  in  a 
feeble  state  ot  development.  Tulsa  is  a  new  city.  Many 
ot  its  residents  are  temporary,  and  the  task  of  accomplish- 
ing anything  that  is  worth  while  in  citv  plannint;  is 
especially  difficult. 

Utica 

New   "^'ork 

.As  a  result  ot  an  active  city  plannmg  campaign  uniier- 
taken  by  Utica  (85,692)  about  eight  years  ago,  the  city 
has  made  notable  progress  in  the  improvement  of  its 
railroad  terminals  and  trackage  facilities  ami  in  the 
development  ot  a  comprehensive  park  scheme. 

Early  Beauli/ying  Committee. — In  June,  1906,  a  com- 
mittee called  the  "Committee  on  Improving  and  Beautify- 
ing the  City  of  Utica"  was  appointed  by  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  to  study  certain  urgent  problems,  with  authori- 
ity  to  engage  an  expert.  To  the  Committee  it  became 
evident  that  their  problem  was  of  such  scope  that  it 
atfectetl  nearly  every  part  of  the  city  ami  all  the  elements 
of  the  city  plan.  The  Committee  employed  Krederick 
Law  Olmsted,  Jr.,  of  Brookline,  Mass.,  to  undertake  the 
study  ot  the  technical  problems  involved  and  to  give 
.special  attention  to  park  and  railway  improvements.  Mr. 
Olmsted  submitted  his  report  in  February,  1907.  It  out- 
lined a  program  of  work  that  would  help  shape  the  future 
public  policy  ot  Utica  and  to  meet  squarely  and  satis- 
factorily the  anticipated  problems  ot  increased  popula- 
tion anil  industrial  growth.  His  report,  which  was  pub- 
lished by  the  Chandler  of  Commerce,  outlineil  a  ueneral 
scheme  lor  traffic  thoroughfares  and  arterial  roads,  and 
especially  for  the  solution  of  the  pressing  problem  center- 
ing about  the  elimination  ot  the  grade  crossing  at  a  point 
called  Baggs  Square.  It  was  largely  through  the  findings 
ot  Mr.  Olmsted  that  the  railroad  and  the  city  agreed  on 
adopting  a  plan  for  this  location  that  insured  for  the 
future  ample  provision  tor  traffic  safety  and  a  reasonable 
protection  of  esthetic  values. 


l82 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Railroads. — Since  igoS  the  railroad  company  has  been 
iniiuceJ  to  undertake  work  in  grade  crossing  elimination 
which  has  involved  an  outhiy  by  the  company  of  over 
;?5,ooo,ooo,  by  the  city  of  3i, 000,000  and  by  private  citi- 
zens of  about  $250,000.  Utica  now  has  one  of  the  finest 
railroad  stations  in  the  United  States  for  a  city  of  its  size. 
Its  freight  terminal  facilities  have  also  been  impVoved  as  a 
result  of  moving  the  channel  of  the  Mohawk  River  for  a 
distance  of  over  a  mile  to  a  point  2,000  feet  from  its 
former  location,  and  the  consequent  straightening  o\  the 
right  of  way  of  the  railwav  lines.  Much  ot  this  work  was 
accomplished  about  1910,  two  years  after  the  city  plan- 
ning studies  were  made. 

Parks. — The  Olmsted  report  was  of  great  value  also 
in  bringing  the  public  to  a  realization  of  the  need  of  more 
park  lands  and  boulevard  connections.  A  short  time  after 
its  publication,  certain  citizens  of  Utica  presented  the  city 
with  some  extremelv  fine  park  areas,  and  a  notable  advance 
was  made  in  a  direction  in  which  it  had  previously  been 
greatly  deficient.  At  the  present  time  the  city  has  a  good 
park  system  ot  about  600  acres.  The  plan  ot  Mr.  Olmsted 
is  being  tollowed  in  the  development  ot  the  park  system, 
and  an  annual  appropriation  is  made  tor  this  purpose. 

Walla  Walla 

Washington 

The  Park  and  Civic  Arts  Club,  formerly  the  Woman's 
Club,  organized  in  iyo8  has  been  the  active  backer  of  a 
movement  for  the  preparation  ot  a  comprehensive  city 
plan  for  Walla  Walla  (25,136).  There  is  another  Com- 
mittee, appointed  by  the  Mayor  in  1916,  which  is  investi- 
gating the  general  civic  needs  of  the  town.  The  Park 
Club  referred  to  has  raised  by  private  subscription,  and 
expended,  about  |io,ooo  in  the  improvement  of  parks  and 
playgrounds. 

Parks. — There  are  two  parks,  with  a  total  area  of  <;o 
acres,  at  opposite  ends  of  the  town.  Two  hundred  acres  of 
land,  irregularly  distributed  along  the  banks  of  a  local 
stream  and  ideally  situated  for  park  purposes,  are  in  the 
possession  ot  the  city.  In  the  parks  are  16  acres  reserved 
for  playgrounds,  supported  and  supervised  by  the  Park 
and  Arts  Club.  The  School  Board  is  showing  interest 
in  plans  for  recreation  and  has  made  some  progress  in 
developing  play-spaces  around  the  schools. 

Housing  and  '/^oning. — The  building  of  better  dwellings, 
the  improvement  and  enforcement  of  housing  laws,  and 
the  zoning  ot  the  city  are  being  agitated,  but  the  city  is 
not  ready  for  such  measures.  The  City  Commissioners 
have  been  interested  in  the  plans  and  accomplishments 
noted  but  have  provided  no  funds  for  constructive  work. 

Streets. — Street  improvements  are  not  carried  out  in  a 
broad  way.  The  city  engineer,  Walter  Rehorn,  has 
advocated  measures  that  would  put  such  work  on  an 
orderly  basis,  but  the  Commissioners  have  failed  to  pro- 
vide the  money  needed  for  the  realization  of  his  plans. 
Lighting  and  telephone  wires  are  gradually  being  placed 
underground  in  the  business  district,  but  they  seriously 
disfigure  the  residence  sections,  and  are  a  constant  menace 
to  the  city's  trees. 

Financing  Improvements.— h  city  ordinance   provides 


tor  the  financing  of  city  improvements  through  assess- 
ment on  benefited  districts  up  to  50  per  cent  of  the  value 
ot  real  estate,  exclusive  ot  improvements.  Miss  Grace  G. 
Isaacs  is  president  of  the  Park  and  Civic  .Arts  Club,  and 
O.  C.  Soots  is  secretary  of  the  Commercial  Club. 

Walpole 

Massachusetts 

Walpole  (5,490),  a  little  rural  industrial  town  in  the 
eastern  section  ot  Massachusetts,  has  won  tor  itselt  con- 
siderable distinction  tor  its  enterprise  in  town  planning 
work.  Charles  S.  Bird,  Jr.,  chairman  ot  the  Massachusetts 
Federation  ot  Planning  Boards,  is  the  chairman  of  the  local 
Town  Planning  Committee,  which  engaged  John  Nolen, 
landscape  architect,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1913  to 
prepare  a  general  town  plan  as  a  guide  for  all  future 
planning.  Mr.  Nolen's  plan,  which  was  published  in  a 
bulletin  and  distributed  among  the  people  ot  the  town 
in  the  spring  ot  1914,  shows  thirty-nine  specific  improve- 
ments, which  are  numbered  on  the  plan  and  then  described 
by  number  in  the  bulletin. 

The  town  plan  was  adopted  in  March,  1914,  by  vote  of 
the  town,  and  an  educational  campaign  carried  on  to 
promote  general  interest.  Safeguarding  regulations  were 
adopted,  including  the  betterment  act,  the  board  of  sur- 
vey act,  the  reserve  space  act,  concurrent  jurisdiction, 
authority  tor  the  town  planning  board  to  act  as  park  com- 
mission, and  the  tenement  house  act.  A  compilation  ot 
laws  was  also  made,  and  the  preparation  ot  a  topographical 
survey  carried  through. 

There  were  some  nineteen  or  twenty  physical  improve- 
ments executed,  including  the  widening  of  the  main 
streets,  the  establishment  of  building  lines,  the  acquisition 
ot  park  lands,  the  inauguration  ot  an  improved  civic  center 
development,  the  enlargement  and  improvement  ot  school- 
grounds,  the  development  ot  playgrounds,  and  a  five-year 
program  ot  systematic  street  changes. 

One  notable  town  planning  improvement  came  through 
the  gitt  of  175  acres  adjoining  the  high  school,  as  a  town 
forest.  The  town  appropriated  #9,500  toward  develop- 
ment, and  16,000  trees  have  been  planted,  1,000  being 
set  by  school  children.  The  complete  plan  includes  an 
amphitheatre,  swimming-pool,  plavgrounds,  and  the  like. 

Organization  and  administration  have  not  been  neg- 
lected. A  competent  civil  engineer  has  been  engaged; 
a  Walpole  1920  committee  formed;  the  study  of  town 
government  begun;  the  activity  ot  the  Board  of  Trade 
increased,  and  the  cooperation  ot  a  real  estate  association 
secured.  This  program  ot  town  planning  and  town  devel- 
opment by  Walpole,  with  a  population  a  little  over  5,000, 
is  an  illustration  of  what  a  small  town  can  do. 

Waltham 

Massachusetts 

A  Planning  Board,  organized  under  the  Massachusetts 
Law  (Chap.  494,  .'\cts  of  1913),  and  a  Board  of  Survey, 
organized  in  1909,  are  the  active  agents  in  city  planning 
in  Waltham  (30,570).    The  function  of  the  latter  Board 


CITY    PLANNINCi    PROCiRl-.SS 


183 


has  to  do  more  particularly  with  the  control  of  laml  siih- 
division,  with  authority  over  new  plats  laid  out  liy  real 
estate  developers.  A  law  similar  in  scope  to  that  under 
which  the  W'alrhani  Board  ot'  Survey  was  organized  has 
since  been  passed  as  a  general  law  In  the  leijislature,  suli- 
ject  to  adoption  by  any  citv. 

A  number  of  new  streets  proposed  by  the  Board  of 
Survey  have  been  constructed  by  the  city  according  to 
the  plans  submitted  by  them,  and  in  other  cases  property 
owners  have  been  persuaded  to  cooperate  for  the  common 
good.  In  all,  the  Board  has  planned  nearly  11  miles  of 
streets  and  approved  nearly  7  miles,  petitions  for  which 
were  submitted  by  various  parties.  The  complete  street 
plan  ot  the  whole  city  and  abundant  data  for  action  in  any 
district  improvement  is  now  on  hand,  but  no  comprehen- 
sive plan  tor  the  whole  city  has  yet  been  undertaken.  The 
latter  work  is  being  considered  by  the  City  Planning  Board 
of  Waltham  which  has  in  hand  three  lines  of  investiga- 
tions: the  study  of  congestion,  a  study  of  the  tenement 
house  problem,  and  the  platting  of  new  districts.  \\'al- 
tham  has  an  adequate  system  of  local  plavgrounds,  includ- 
ing two  large  athletic  tields,  all  under  the  direction  of  a 
recreational  commission,  and  about  250  acres  of  parks, 
which,  tor  a  city  ot  its  size,  is  quite  satisfactory. 

Washington* 

District  ot   Columbia 

Out  ot  the  chaos  that  followed  the  American  War  of 
the  Revolution  came  the  idea  for  a  permanent  .seat  ot 
government  for  the  Confederate  Colonies.  That  there 
was  need  for  a  capital  no  one  doubted.  Yet,  when  the 
time  came  to  select  a  capital,  a  violent  controversy  arose. 
The  claims  of  many  cities  were  presented.  The  problem 
was  solved  by  a  political-play  which  resulted  in  fixing  the 
location  on  the  banks  ot  the  Potomac.  The  Potomac  site, 
around  which  such  a  fierce  legislative  contlict  raged,  had  a 
primitive  and  uncultivated  beauty.  To  project  there  a 
city  which  would  fittingly  symbolize  the  sovereignty  of 
the  young  Republic  was  the  huge  task  that  confronted 
President  Washington.  When  the  Congress  had  finally 
authorized  the  location  on  the  Potomac,  President  Wash- 
ington took  active  charge  and  appointed  L'F.ntant, 
an  educated  French  army  engineer,  to  cooperate  with 
him  in  the  selection  of  the  site,  and  when  that  was 
done,  to  lay  out  the  Capital  City.  L'Entant  planned  and 
prepared  a  framework  tor  its  development  which  the 
ablest  architects  and  artists  now,  more  than  one  hundred 
years  after  the  plan  was  drawn  and  its  execution  begun, 
have  confessed  themselves  unable  to  improve.  The  trou- 
ble that  grew  out  of  the  temperament  of  Major  L'Entant 
and  the  necessity  of  his  dismissal  in  1792,  and  the  cause 
of  his  differences  with  the  Capitol  Commissioners,  it  is 
quite  unnecessary  to  dwell  upon  here.  It  is  sufficient  to  say 
that  L'Enfant's  plan  was  carried  out  with  excellent  judg- 
ment by  Andrew  Ellicott,  seconded  by  Washington.  It  is 
worth  noting  here  that,  while  the  initiation  and  toresight 
ot  Washington  were  indispensable  to  the  plan,  Jefferson, 

♦."Acknowledgment  is  due  to  Wm.  Howard  Taft  for  the  free  use  in 
this  outline  of  portions  of  a  paper  by  him  on  "Washington,  Its  Growth 
and  Its  Future,"  appearing  in  the  National  Geographic  Magazine  for 
March,  1915. 


who  entered  heartily  into  the  project,  was  most  useful  in 
its  development.  He  showed  his  active  s\nipathy  I'V 
seniiing  to  Major  l.'Kntant  on  .April  10,  I7<yl,  the  plans  of 
I'ranktort-on-the-Main,  Carlsruhe,  .Amsterdam,  Stras- 
burg,  Paris,  Orleans,  Bordeaux,  Lyons,  Montpelier, 
.Marseilles,  Turin,  and  Milan,  on  a  large  and  accurate 
scale,  which  he  saiti  had  been  securetl  by  him  while  in 
those  cities.  Jefferson,  like  Washington,  had  an  adeipiate 
conception  of  the  future  of  the  Federal  city. 

Early  Deirlopmeiil  tif  the  Plan.  In  its  history,  the  city 
of  Washington  (,i'>.!,9Ho)  has  had  to  live  through  the  day 
ot  small  things.  The  plan  of  L'F.ntant  met  the  obstinacy 
and  lack  ot  artistic  sense  of  certain  legislators  who  closed 
the  vista   between    the  White   llnuse  and   the  Capitol   bv 


Washington. — The  L'Enfant  Plan. 

insisting  on  the  erection  of  the  Treasury  across  the  line  of 
Pennsylvania  .Avenue.  Then,  later  on,  when  Congress 
seemed  determineii  to  minimize  everything  national,  it 
retrocedeii  to  Virginia  the  part  ot  the  lo-mile  square  on 
the  south  side  ot  the  Potomac  River  and  furnished  sub- 
stantial proof  ot  its  contracted  view  ot  Washington's 
future.  This  was  quite  a  departure  from  the  broad, 
liberal  attitude  of  Jefferson.  It  was  a  day  ot  little  .Ameri- 
cans, and  whenever  they  are  in  control  the  National 
Capitol  always  suffers. 

Posl-Bclluni  Perioil. — Then  there  was  a  period  after 
the  Civil  War,  that  period  when  art  and  architecture  in 
this  country  was  at  a  low  ebb  and  buildings  erected 
were  without  form  and  void.  When  we  think  of  the  mil- 
lions that  were  spent  in  the  construction  ot  the  State  War 
and  N'avv  Department  Buihlings  in  Washington,  which, 
like  the  Treasury  Department,  cut  off  another  vista  from 
aiyi  to  the  White  House,  we  ought  to  rejoice  that  we  have 
returned  to  better  day.s.  It  has  been  a  struggle  with  the 
Philistines,  but  we  now  have  come  under  the  elevating 
influence  of  men  like  McKini,  Hunt,  Post,  Burnham,  St. 
Gaudens,  Olmsted,  and  other  leaders  among  .American 
architects  and  artists. 


1 8. 


CI  TV   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


Washington. — The  Mall,  a  Great  Parkway  Extending  for  a 
Distance  of  Two  and  Two-thirds  Miles  from  the  Library  ot  Con- 
gress to  the  Potomac  River  Lined  by  Sites  for  Public  Buildings,  a 
Main  Feature  in  the  Plan  of  L'Enfant  and  the  Cherished  Core  of 
the  Great  Development  ot  Washington,  Recommended  by  the 
Park  Commission  in  its  Report  to  the  Senate  Committee  of  the 
District  of  Columbia  in  lyoi. 


The  Senate  Commission. — Since  1895  there  have  lieen 
in  public  life  and  in  positions  of  authority  men  in  whom 
innate  and  artistic  sense  has  been  united  with  energy  and 
disinterested  effort,  men  who  have  shown  a  pride  and 
anxiety  that  the  country  uphold  and  follow  accepted 
canons  of  art,  and  who  have  had  the  practical  ability  to 
compass  their  patriotic  purposes.  Such  a  man  was  Senator 
James  A.  McMillan,  of  Michigan.  For  years  he  was  at  the 
head  of  a  Committee  on  the  District  of  Columbia  in  the 
Senate.  To  him  is  due  the  revival  of  interest  in  the  proper 
development  of  our  country's  capital.  For  twelve  years 
he  gave  a  very  considerable  portion  ot  his  time  and  thought 
to  putting  in  good  order  the  District  of  Columbia.  With 
him  the  development  of  the  District  of  Columbia  was  a 
constantly  expanding  idea.  By  the  time  ot  the  centennial 
of  the  removal  of  the  seat  ot  government  to  Washington, 
he  had  his  ideal  clearly  in  mind,  and  before  the  architects 
were  called  in,  he  had  planned  to  make  Washington  a 
model  capital.  He  organized  the  Commission  consisting 
of  Burnham,  Olmsted,  St.  Gaudens,  and  McKim,  who 
made  the  report  to  his  Senate  Committee  in  the  Fifty- 
seventh  Congress  entitled  "The  Improvement  ot  the  Park 
System  ot  the  District  of  Columbia." 

Work  oj  the  Commission. — When  Mr.  Burnham  sug- 
gested that  the  Commission  should  go  abroad,  Mr.  McMil- 
lan promptly  furnished  the  money;  when  it  was  necessary 
to  have  expensive  models  made  of  the  Mall  system,  he 
again  aided  the  project  financially;  and  when,  in  the  last 
stages  of  the  work,  Mr.  McKim  insisted  that  the  archi- 
tectural drawings  be  presented  adequately,  Mr.  McMil- 
lan told  him  that  he  might  go  ahead,  and  that  if  the 
(jovernment  would  not  pay  he  would.  The  work  of 
enlarging  and  renovating  the  White  House,  which  is  now, 
in  its  simple  dignity  and  beauty,  a  monument  to  the  bril- 
lant  genius  of  Charles  FoUen  McKim,  was  due  to  the 
initiation  and  insistence  ot  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt  and 
the  assistance  which  Senator  McMillan  and  Senator  Alli- 
son rendered  in  securing,  in  the  spring  of  1902,  the  neces- 
sary appropriations. 

Senator  McMillan. — Senator  McMillan  reported  the 
new  plans  for  the  improvement  of  Washington  to  the 
Senate  on  January  15,  1902,  and  on  August  11  ot  that 
year  he  died.  After  his  death,  between  |io,ocio  and 
?i 5,000  of  money  that  he  had  advanced  was  paid  back  to 
his  estate.  The  park  next  to  the  Soldiers'  Home,  in  which 
is  the  filtration  plan  of  the  waterworks  of  Washington,  is 
now  called  McMillan  Park,  in  honor  of  Senator  McMillan, 
and  is  only  a  small  recognition  ot  the  debt  ot  gratitude 
which  the  people  of  the  United  States  owe  to  this  earnest 
and  disinterested  public  servant. 

Results. — Since  the  revival  of  interest  in  the  capital, 
which  for  convenience  we  may  date  from  the  celebration  ot 
its  centennial  in  1902,  many  steps  of  a  substantial  charac- 
ter have  been  taken  that  make  for  the  proper  growth  of 
Washington  substantially  in  accordance  with  the  original 
plans.  The  movement  for  the  clearing  of  obstructions  in 
the  Mall  and  the  erection  of  that  great  monumental  en- 
trance to  Washington,  the  L'nion  Station,  were  the  result 
of  cooperation  between  Senator  McMillan,  James  Cas- 
satt,  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  Daniel 
H.  Burnham.  The  erection  of  the  Columbus  statue  and 
fountain  in  the  plaza  before  the  Union  Station,  and  the 


CITY   PLANNINC;    I'RiKJRI.SS 


i8^ 


appropriation  ot  the  land  between  the  Station  and  the 
Senate  Building  and  the  Capitol,  so  as  to  make  that  all 
an  open  park,  is  an  accomplishment,  the  difficulties  ot' 
which  are  rapidly  being  forgotten,  but  which  at  the  time 
seemed  well-nigh  insurmountable.  The  House  and  Senate 
Office  buildings  fill  important  links  in  the  plans  tor  Capi- 
tol Hill;  the  removal  ot  the  Botanical  Gardens  anti  the 
consequent  improvement  ot  the  lower  end  ot  the  Mall  ha\e 
been  provided  tor;  the  National  Museum  and  the  Depart- 
ment ot  Agriculture  buildings  have  been  located  in 
accordance  with  the  Park  Commission's  recommenda- 
tions; the  Bureau  ot  Engraving  and  Printing  has  been 
fitted  into  the  general  scheme;  Potomac  Island  and  Po- 
tomac Park  are  coming  to  be  dreams  realized;  the  Lin- 
coln Memorial  is  now  taking  phvsical  shape;  the  buikl- 
ings  on  the  west  side  o(  Seventeenth  Street,  facing  the 
White  Lot,  have  all  been  erected  but  one,  and  that  one 
is  under  construction;  the  ground  on  the  east  side  of 
Fitteenth  Street,  facing  the  same  park,  has  been  acquireti. 

Commission  of  Fine  Arts. — In  1910  Congress  provided 
tor  a  permanent  Commission  of  Fine  Arts,  to  be  composed 
ot  seven  or  more  qualified  judges  of  fine  arts,  appointed 
bv  the  President  and  serving  for  a  period  of  four  years  each. 
The  law  provided  that  it  should  be  the  duty  of  such  a 
commission  to  advise  upon  the  location  of  statues,  foun- 
tains, and  monuments  in  the  mdilic  squares,  streets,  and 
parks  ot  the  District  ot  Columbia,  and  on  the  selection  ot 
models  tor  statues,  fountains,  and  monuments  erected  by 
the  Government,  and  upon  the  selection  of  artists  for 
the  execution  of  the  same,  and  that  it  should  be  the  duty 
of  the  officers  authorized  by  law  to  determine  such  ques- 
tions, in  each  case  to  call  tor  the  advice  of  the  Commission. 
It  was  also  provided  that  the  Commission  should  advise 
generallv  upon  questions  ot  art  when  required  to  do  so  by 
the  President  or  by  any  committee  ot  the  Senate. 

The  Members. — The  first  appointees  upon  this  Com- 
mission included  all  the  members  ot  the  first  Park  Com- 
mission, organized  by  Senator  McMillan,  and  others  ot 
high  artistic  achievement  who  sympathized  with  the  pur- 
poses of  the  law,  including  a  gentleman  who  had  been  the 
most  active  and  useful  in  all  this  work,  and  at  one  time 
Senator  McMillan's  private  secretary,  Charles  Moore,  ot 
Detroit.  In  this  way  it  was  considered  that  continuity 
and  consistency  could  be  given  to  the  architectural  progress 
(jf  Washington,  and  that  the  spirit  ot  the  report  ot  the 
Burnham  Commission  would  be  made  vital  and  energizing 
in  everything  that  was  done  thereafter. 

Their  Work. — The  Mall  was  the  axis  upon  which  hung 
most  of  the  recommendations  of  the  Park  Commission, 
and  it  is  pleasant  to  note  that,  in  spite  of  great  opposition 
at  times,  the  report  and  recommendations  ot  the  Burnham 
Commission  have  ultimately  prevailed.  Thus,  we  shall 
have  the  great  axis  of  the  Mall  beginning  with  the  Capitol 
Dome,  running  through  the  Grant  Monument  at  the  toot 
of  the  Capitol  Hill  and  the  Washington  Monument,  two- 
thirds  of  the  distance  to  the  Potomac,  and  ending  in  the 
Lincoln  Memorial  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  high 
above  the  river,  where  it  will  suitably  crown  a  memorial 
bridge  uniting  the  North  and  South,  and  leading  to 
Arlington,  the  Valhalla  of  the  nation's  patriotic  dead. 

Park  System. — No  one  can  read  the  report  of  the  Park 
Commission,  however,  without  realizing  the  great  amount 


'/ 


W  \vHi ',..  MIS.  U.uk  (.rrik  I'. Ilk  I  xrension  Recently 
.Authorized,  I'rovitlint;  tor  the  1  ranslormation  of  Rock  Creek 
\'alley  into  a  Beautiful  Wiiulini;  I'arkway,  of  over  Ui2  .■\cres  ami 
Two  and  One-half  Miles  I-ong,  Connecting  the  Potomac  Park  on 
the  Riverfront  with  Rock  Creek  Park  in  the  Interior.  Cost  for 
Land  only  $1,300,000. 

This  is  one  of  a  number  of  improvements  recently  instituted 
and  based  upon  the  plans  of  the  Park  Commission  of  it>oi,  which 
extended  so  appropriately  the  original  plan  of  Washington  as 
laid  out  by  Major  L'Lntant  in  l/yi. 


i86 


CITY   PLANNING   PROGRESS 


of  work  that  remains  to  be  done.  The  park  system  now 
covers  about  ,1,^65  acres.  The  total  acreage  of  the  Dis- 
trict, exclusive  ot  water  surface,  is  38,400  acres.  Of  this, 
part  ot  it  ought  to  be  done  at  once — the  sooner  the  better. 
The  great  addition  to  the  L'Entant  plan  made  by  the 
Park  Commission  was  the  development  ot  the  park  system 
ot  Washington  outside  of  its  original  limits.  The  heat  ot 
Washington  in  the  summer  was  a  circumstance  that  figured 
much  in  the  deliberations  ot  the  Commission.  They 
thought  that  the  high  ridges  and  hills  all  about  the  city 
has  not  been  sufficiently  improved  as  places  ot  summer 
resort.  Thev  sought  to  impress  upon  Congress  the  neces- 
sity for  the  acquisition  of  these  tracts  for  park  purposes 
now,  when  the  land  could  be  bought  at  a  comparatively 
cheap  price.  They  wished  to  secure  a  circular  zone  run- 
ning clear  from  the  hills  overlooking  the  upper  Potomac 
beyond  the  Tennallytown  Pike,  and  following  the  line  of 
the  abandoned,  but  picturesque  and  historically  interesting, 
fortifications  erected  during  the  Civil  War  for  the  defense 
of  Washington,  extending  southeastwardly  clear  around 
to  the  hills  above  Anacostia  and  reaching  down  to  the 
Potomac  below  the  Eastern  Branch.  It  is  hoped  that  some 
executive  agency  will  be  given  power  to  act  and  to  acquire 
this  park  zone  bordering  the  perimeter  of  the  District, 
from  the  hills  that  command  the  beautiful  Virginia 
Palisades  of  the  Potomac  around  to  the  Anacostia  hills 
that  look  across  toward  the  home  of  Washington  at  Mount 
Vernon. 

Rock  Cj-eek  I'alley  Reclamation. — During  the  last  ses- 
sion of  Congress  (1915-16)  two  notable  additions  have 
been  made  in  the  park  system  of  Washington.  The 
greater  of  these  contemplates  the  transformation  of  Rock 
Creek  Valley  into  a  beautiful  winding  parkway  connecting 
Potomac  Park  on  the  riverfront  with  the  Zoological  Park 
and  Rock  Creek  in  the  interior.  A  carefully  designed 
scheme  has  been  elaborated  for  the  construction  of  this 
parkway,  which  will  be  about  2^^  miles  in  length  and  will 
comprise  over  162  acres  in  its  area.  When  completed  it 
will  be  provided  with  macadam  roads,  bridle-paths,  foot- 
paths, and  other  park  features.  The  estimated  cost  of  this 
work  includes  Si,joo,ooo  for  land  alone. 

East  Potomac  Park — ^i  Recreation  Center. — The  next 
most  important  development  of  Washington,  adopted  by 
Congress  very  largely  through  the  efforts  of  the  Committee 
on  .Appropriations  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  is  the 
improvement  of  East  Potomac  Park,  lying  along  the 
southwestern  waterfront  of  the  city  and  formed  from  a 
part  of  the  area  reclaimed  from  the  river  in  former  years. 
It  comprises  an  island  of  327  acres  which  it  is  now  pro- 
posed to  convert  into  a  great  public  recreation  center.  This 
locality  was  for  many  years  occupied  by  semi-submerged 
river  flats  which  were  a  source  of  malaria,  noxious  odors, 
and  unsanitary  conditions  of  all  sorts  until  it  was  inclosed 
by  a  sea-wall  and  filled  with  earth  dredged  from  the 
navigable  channels  of  the  river.  Congress  has  already 
appropriated  §65,000  for  commencing  work  upon  this 
great  enterprise,  which  will  be  expended  in  erecting  a  por- 
tion of  the  proposed  field-house  and  in  clearing  and  seed- 
ing portions  of  the  golf-courses. 

Reclamation  of  Banks  of  Anacostia  River. — Plans  have 
been  adopted  for  the  reclamation  of  the  banks  of  the  upper 
.■\nacostia  River,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  city,  to  pro- 


vide for  a  large  aquatic  park.  This  will  be  an  extension 
up-stream  of  the  reclamation  of  the  banks  upon  the  lower 
stretches  ot  the  river  where  it  flows  into  the  Potomac,  and 
is  being  carried  on  from  year  to  year  uniler  annual  appro- 
priations by  Congress.  The  plans  contemplate  the  im- 
provement ot  the  banks  of  this  river  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  Potomac  River,  and  the  addition  of  the  resulting  areas 
of  land  to  the  park  system  of  the  District  of  Columbia. 
The  reclamation  work  alone  upon  this  project  will  cost 
over  |2,ooo,ooo. 

The  purchase  and  development,  at  great  cost,  of 
Meridian  Hill  Park,  on  Sixteenth  Street,  and  of  Montrose 
Park,  in  Georgetown,  are  further  evidences  of  the  desire 
of  Congress  to  add  to  the  beauty  and  comfort  of  other 
sections  of  the  city. 

Heights  of  Buildings  Restrictions. — The  heights  of 
buildings  has  been  limited  under  act  of  Congress  in  the 
District  of  Columbia  since  1899.  The  regulations,  which 
have  been  amended  from  time  to  time,  are  more  stringent 
than  those  of  any  other  city  in  this  country,  with  the 
exception  ot  New  York  and  Boston.  No  building  may  be 
erected  to  a  greater  height  than  the  width  ot  the  street, 
increased  by  20  feet.  On  residence  streets  buildings  may 
not  exceed  80  feet  in  height.  The  Commissioners  of  the 
District  are  also  authorized  to  regulate  the  maximum 
height  of  buildings  on  such  blocks  as  are  immediately 
adjacent  to  public  buildings  or  to  the  side  of  any  public 
building.  The  Commissioners  of  the  District  are  not  only 
authorized,  but  directed,  to  denominate  portions  of  streets 
as  business  streets,  and  all  streets  in  the  district  not  so 
designated  are  considered  residence  streets,  but  there  is 
no  statutory  provision  that  restricts  the  development  of 
residence  streets  to  residence  purposes  and  vice  versa. 
Every  owner  is  free  to  develop  his  own  property,  whether  it 
is  located  on  a  business  street  or  on  a  residence  street,  as 
he  sees  fit. 

Waterbury 

Connecticut 

Two  workmgmen's  housing  enterprises  have  recently 
been  completed  in  Waterbury  (86,973)  which  have 
attracted  attention,  not  only  in  the  city  and  state,  but 
among  people  interested  in  social  welfare  and  economic 
housing  in  other  sections  of  the  country.  These  develop- 
ments were  undertaken  by  the  Scoville  Manufacturing 
Company  and  the  American  Brass  Company.  They  in- 
volved, in  all,  a  total  outlay  of  about  ^400,000.  The  more 
extensive  development  is  that  of  the  Scoville  Manufac- 
turing Company.  That  Waterbury  should  take  so  prom- 
inent a  place  in  the  matter  ot  housing  working  people  is 
not  surprising,  since,  as  a  result  of  great  activities  in  its 
factories,  the  city's  population  has  increased  by  about 
20,000  in  the  past  year.  This  rapid  increase  led  to  a 
movement  among  the  manufacturers  of  the  city  for  im- 
proving and  increasing  housing  accommodations,  and  this 
resulted  in  the  engagement  of  John  Nolen,  of  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  in  1916,  to  study  the  situation  and  report  on  the 
best  solutions  of  the  problem  of  caring  tor  the  newcomers. 
Mr.  Nolen's  recommendations  were  published  and  con- 
tained suggestions  tor  improving  the  character  ot  hous- 
ing   for   employees  and  a  survey  of  conditions  in  other 


CITY   PLANNING    PROt.RKSS 


187 


localities.  The  expense  of  this  investigation  was  paid  for 
liy  the  nianiitacturers.  The  report  of  Mr.  Nolcn  was 
pulilished  as  a  supplement  to  a  .Sunilav  edition  of  77;,- 
Rrpiil/lic. 

Outside  ot  this  effort,  no  measures  allieii  to  city  plan- 
ning have  been  taken  in  Waterliury.  In  the  field  of  recre- 
ation, Waterhury  has  a  limited  park  area,  and  that  which 
exists  was  donated  by  citizens.  Several  playgrounds  have 
also  been  provided  through  the  generosity  of  private 
citizens. 

There  is  an  excellent  railroad  station  designed  by 
McKim,  Mead  &  White,  and  grade  crossings  elimina- 
tion is  now  completed.  Waterbtiry  has  reached  a  point 
where  she  should  take  steps  to  plan  wiseK'  and  in  a  biij 
way  for  her  future  growth. 

Waterloo 

Iowa 

In  his  report,  entitled  "The  VVell-Being  of  Waterloo," 
made  in  1910  to  the  Civic  Society  of  Waterloo  (35,559), 
Charles  Multord  Robinson  credits  the  city  with  being 
unusually  well  built  when  measured  by  the  standard  set 
by  other  cities  of  its  size  in  America.  He  points  out  cer- 
tain deficiencies  in  the  details  of  the  existing  plan  which 
need  correction,  and  a  number  of  larger  single  problems, 
the  solution  ot  which  would  tend  to  stamp  with  more 
tangible  self-assertion  the  general  aspect  of  the  city.  Of 
these  latter  problems  the  first  is  the  development  of  an 
adequate  civic  center  and  the  next  the  railroads,  a  most 
serious  one  for  the  city.  Phvsicallv,  Waterloo  is  strapped 
and  bound  by  these  in  an  exceptionally  trymg  fashion,  and 
he  proposes  a  scheme  which  will  relieve  the  city  of  the 
worst  phases  of  this  situation.  The  dominating  feature  of 
Waterloo  is  the  river,  and  to  the  proper  improvement  of 
the  river  banks  and  their  reclamation  from  the  present 
unsightly  conditions  it  is  urged  that  the  city  give  imme- 
diate attention.  Mr.  Robinson  proposes  the  employ- 
ment of  three  experts,  an  engineer,  a  landscape  architect, 
and  a  city  planner,  to  devise  ways  and  means  for  general 
improvement,  such  as  is  now  being  carried  out  at  Daven- 
port in  the  same  state.  In  the  meantime  he  proposes  a 
general  clearing  up  of  the  river  banks. 

Parks. — In  the  acquirement  of  land  for  parks,  Water- 
loo has  made  a  good  start,  but  Mr.  Robinson  sees  some 
remarkable  opportunities  for  realizing  a  system  that  will 
serve  all  parts  of  the  city  in  a  comprehensive  manner. 

Little  Result. — It  is  unfortunate  that,  with  the  exception 
of  Mr.  Robinson's  report  and  the  immediate  interest  ex- 
cited by  its  publications,  there  has  been  no  determined 
city  planning  effort,  although  the  ever-changing  municipal 
officers  have  tried  spasmodically  to  follow  some  of  the 
recommendations. 

Railroads, — In  one  direction,  at  least,  the  city  is  mak- 
ing progress  along  the  lines  suggested  by  Mr.  Robin,son. 
In  1916  the  city  secured  the  services  of  H.  J.  Slifer,  of 
Chicago,  and  at  considerable  expense  prepared  an  elabo- 
rate report  of  the  railroad  situation  in  Waterloo,  along 
with  recommendations  for  a  union  depot.  This  report 
is  about  to  be  be  presented  to  the  railroads  for  their 
consideration. 


^P>^ 


1912 


^tw  TtfWM  Haul 


/<Ew  Ttfwrt   Haul 


I9I8 


Improvei^ientj  in  The  Town  ofWejton- 

AUTHUI^  A-  jHURTLTrf    UhOXAPL  A>,CitlTtCT ■io.SfO"   '^•■'J- 


\\t;.-.ro\. — Showint!  Moilificatiuji;.  ot  I'l.in  of  Ci.iur.ii  .Sec- 
tion and  Development  of  Civic  Center  ami  Town  Common. 

Weston 

Mas.sachusftts 

The  accompanying  three  plans  indicate  the  fundamental 
changes  which  have  been  made  in  the  center  of  the  town 
of  Weston  (2,34;)  to  avoid  any  possibility  of  the  creation 
of  a  slum  in  the  brook  valley  adjoining  the  ancient  town 
square,  and  at  the  same  time  give  a  proper  site  for  th'e 
new  large  Town  Hall.  The  little  triangular  square  adjoin- 
ing the  church  and  the  old  Town  Hall  served  its  purpo.sc 
for  many  generations,  but  the  town  authorities  saw  clearly 
that  it  was  entirely  out  of  scale  with  modern  requirements. 
The  town  took  the  meadow,  built  a  road  around  its  nor- 
therly side,  and  has  already  built  a  new  Town  Hall.    Dur- 


i88 


CITY   PLANNING   PROCJRESS 


ing  the  coming  twelve  months  the  old  grocery  stores,  the 
old  Town  Hall,  and  the  old  carriage-sheds  are  to  be  re- 
moved. This  important  work  was  executed  in  part  hy 
the  assistance  ot One  ot  the  citizens  who  gave  a  portion  of 
the  land  tor  the  new  Town  Common,  and  also  contributed 
toward  the  building  ot  the  new  Town  Hall.  The  replan- 
ning  of  this  portion  of  the  town  was  done  by  Arthur  A. 
ShurtlefF,  landscape  architect,  in  cooperation  with  the 
Weston  Improvement  Committee  and  the  Weston  Board 
ot  Selectmen. 

Wheeling 

\N'est  Virginia 

Perhaps  the  largest  problem  with  which  the  officials  ot 
Wheeling  (43,^77)  are  confronted  is  that  ot  obtaining 
additional  areas  for  the  expansion  ot  the  central  district 
of  the  city.  The  city  is  situated  in  a  river-bottom,  or 
long,  narrow,  elliptical  plateau,  running  parallel   to   the 


Wilkes-Barre. — A  Rivertront  Improvement. 
For  135  years  the  city  owned  the  land  and  did  nothing  to  make 
it  of  service  to  the  people. 

Ohio  River,  with  steep,  precipitous  bluffs  to  the  east. 
This  hilly  district,  called  Wheeling  Hill,  presents  an  ob- 
stacle to  transportation  and  to  the  cohesive  expansion  of 
the  city.  It  has  been  estimated  that  the  razing  of  this 
hill  and  depositing  the  earth  in  what  is  known  as  Wheeling 
Creek,  a  broad  expanse  of  low  river-bottom  land  to  the 
east  of  Wheeling  Hill,  would  make  available  for  city 
development  several  hundred  acres  of  land.  It  has  also 
been  estimated  that  the  sandstone  and  limestone  taken 
trom  this  hill  could  be  used  in  erecting  a  t^ood-wall  on  the 
riverside  of  the  city.  The  project  would  probably  cost  in 
the  neighborhood  of  $10,000,000,  but  it  is  believed  that 
it  would  open  up  property  which  in  ten  years  or  more 
would  be  worth  from  $20,000,000  to  $25,000,000. 

While  no  definite  plans  have  been  laid  out  for  the 
carrying  out  of  this  great  project,  the  city  is  conserving 
its  title  to  Wheeling  Hill  in  order  not  to  be  handicapped 
with  individual  ownership  in  case  the  project  should  be 
carried  out.  Engineers  are  now  at  work  making  a  careful 
survey  as  a  basis  for  the  study  of  the  problem  of  extend- 
ing the  city  plan  into  the  Wheeling  Hill  district. 


Wilkes- Barre 

Pennsylvania 

The  City  Planning  Commission  of  Wilkes-Barre 
(76,776),  appointed  by  the  City  Council  under  the  Penn- 
sylvania State  Law  of  191  J,  has  served  mainly  in  advising 
the  City  Commissioners  on  projects  for  municipal  improve- 
ment laid  down  in  the  engineering  bureaus  of  the  city 
government.  Its  appropriations  have  amounted  to  but 
$500  a  year.  .As  in  all  of  the  Pennsylvania  cities  of  the 
third  class,  hopes  are  pinned  to  the  state  legislature  for 
action  on  measures  now  before  it,  designed  to  increase 
the  powers  of  commissions  and  to  make  mandatory  a 
specific  annual  assessment  on  city  property  for  the  pur- 
poses of  such  commissions,  such  as  will  enable  them  to 
pursue  investigations  along  more  comprehensive  lines. 
The  Wilkes-Barre  Commission  has  prepared  an  excellent 
map  of  the  territory  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Com- 
mission, including  the  land  within  3  miles  of  the  city's 
boundaries.  While  it  has  not  accomplished  much  in  the 
recreational  field,  it  has  been  instrumental  in  the  appoint- 
ment ot  a  recreation  commission. 

General  Civic  Advance. — Apart  trom  the  work  of  the 
City  Planning  Commission,  Wilkes-Barre  has  made  con- 
siderable progress  in  the  improvement  of  its  riverfront. 
When  the  city  was  laid  out  in  1769,  the  founders  reserved 
a  strip  of  land,  fronting  on  the  Susquehanna,  with  a  total 
area  of  j8  acres,  and,  also,  a  large  diamond-shaped  plot 
in  the  center  ot  the  town.  For  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  years  no  attempt  was  made  to  improve  either  ot 
these  reservations.  In  1906,  however,  as  a  result  of  a 
campaign  by  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce,  a  tax  levy  was 
imposed  tor  the  improvement  ot  this  common  land.  The 
result  has  more  than  justified  the  anticipation  ot  the  pro- 
jectors. A  waterfront  park  has  been  developed  that  is 
one  of  the  show  places  of  the  city.  The  latest  step  forward 
in  this  connection  has  been  the  extension  ot  the  river- 
common.  The  city  now  controls  the  banks  on  both  sides 
of  the  stream  and  has  condemned  jo  acres  of  additional 
land  for  a  municipal  athletic  field.  But  more  than  this, 
the  work  on  the  waterfront  has  stimulated  the  park  move- 
ment as  nothing  could  have  done,  and  gifts  of  land  for 
park  purposes  have  since  been  received  from  many  sources, 
so  that  the  total  acreage  has  been  raised  from  38  acres  (in 
1906)  to  160.  This  latter  figure,  however,  shows  that 
much  remains  to  be  done.  The  prime  movers  in  city 
planning  in  Wilkes-Barre  are  John  C.  Bridgman,  chair- 
man ot  the  City  Planning  Commission,  and  R.  W.  Ferrell, 
secretary  of  the  Chamber  ot  Commerce. 


Wilmington 


Delaware 

The  only  organization  in  Wilmington,  Del.  (94,265),  at 
present  giving  consideration  to  the  larger  phases  ot  city 
planning  is  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners.  Ot  the 
members  of  this  Board,  William  P.  Bancroft  has  been  the 
most  consistent  student  and  advocate  ot  city  planning. 
The  Board  has  laid  out  an  improved  park  system  ot  267 
acres  and  has  now  an  undeveloped  area  ot  woodland  with 


CITY   PLANNINCi    PROCRKSS 


1 89 


119  acres.  They  have  uiuier  their  jurisdiction,  also,  nine 
small  parks  and  eight  small  squares,  unimproved,  with  a 
total  acreage  of  76  acres.  The  natural  features  ot  the  prin- 
cipal parks  along  and  near  the  Brandvwine  are  very  heau- 
titul,  though  ot  their  architectural  features  liftle  can  he 
saiil.  The  I'ark  Hoard  has  plans  tor  extensions  which  thev 
are  constantly  urging  upon  the  city  authorities.  There  is 
little  to  which  the  term  boulevard  can  be  applied.  There 
is  a  Playground  Association,  but  this  has  acconiplishcil 
very  little.  There  have  been  some  attempts  at  forehanded 
purchases  of  areas  tor  .play,  but  the  city  has  done  little  in 
support  of  this  movement. 

Grouping  of  Builiiings. — .•\  group  ot  builiiings,  includ- 
ing the  new  city  and  county  buildings,  is  now  being 
erected  around   the  center  square.    Hornbostel  &:  Jones 


lUVPMI    ■i'^CHPI 


and  it  is  likely  that  in  time  this  improvement  will  be  car- 
ried through. 

Cij»ipnJii-n.<iiY  /Vrtw.  -The  only  attempt  at  drafting  a 
general  citv  plan  was  that  maile  by  a  Committee  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  of  Wilmington,  the  actual  value  ot  which, 
however,  was  not  sufficient  to  make  it  ot  permanent 
interest.  Walter  I'.  Hrown,  architect,  coiiperateil  with  the 
Board  ot  Traile  Cuinmittee  in  drafting  these  plans. 

Woonsockct 

Rhode    Island 

Woonsocket  (44,j,f)o)  is  greatly  in  need  of  a  recreation 
system  and  ot  adequate  housing  laws,  but  first  ot  all  it 


Wilmington. — 

Wilmington's  outstanding  civic  iniprovemenrs  are  her  parks 

of  New  York,  with  John  I).  Thompson,  Jr.,  of  Wilmington, 
associate,  are  the  architects  for  the  new  group. 

Housing. — Housing  in  Wilmington  is  practically 
unrestricted.  There  are  no  housing  laws  anil  no  restric- 
tion of  areas  to  residential  use.  The  Woodland  C'ompan\' 
has  built  houses  with  accommodations  for  about  Jyo 
families,  but  in  so  far  as  architectural  attractiveness  and 
community  features  are  involved,  these  have  little  to 
make  them  noteworthy. 

Transit  and  Transportation. — Transit  and  transporta- 
tion have  received  some  attention.  The  Christiana  Creek 
has  been,  and  remains,  practically  the  only  waterfront 
usable  for  commercial  purposes.  There  has  been  much 
talk  of  getting  water  connection  with  the  Delaware  River, 


Bran<lywine  Park. 

n<l  a  recently  complereii  gniup  of  city  and  cininM   hiiikiings. 

needs  thoroughfares  if  it  is  to  continue  tugrow  and  prosper. 
It  is  still  doing  business  in  the  same  tew,  crooked,  narrow 
ways,  with  steep  gradients,  laid  out  fifty  or  one  hundred 
years  ago.  Owing  to  its  steep  hills  and  winding  rivers  and 
creek  valleys,  however,  there  are  few  alternative  routes  for 
the  increasing  city  tratfic. 

Prelimiiuiry  City  P/iinning  Invfsligiilion.  In  January, 
Hyi  ^,  .Arthur  C.  Comey,  of  Cambriilge,  Mass.,  subnutted  a 
report  in  which  he  recommended  the  widening  anil  straight- 
ening ot  the  main  streets,  the  opening  ot  such  alternative 
routes  as  the  topography  allows,  and  the  creation  ot  cer- 
tain radial  routes. 

Thoroughjares.  —  The  heaviest  through  traffic  is  down 
and  up  the  river  valley,  toward  Providence  in  one  direc- 


190 


CITY   PLANNING   PRCXJRESS 


tion  and  towani  Worcester  in  the  other,  and  the  widening 
of' the  waterfront  levee  at  these  points  to  86  feet  is  recom- 
mended. Certain  other  important  street  widenings, 
straightenings,  and  cuttings  are  mentioned  in  detail. 
The  steep  hills  make  a  complete  system  of  diagonals 
impossible.  A  certain  amount  of  through  traffic  can  be 
diverted  through  the  outskirts  of  the  city  by  means  of 
by-pass  roads  and  circumferential  parkways  not  less  than 
80  feet  wide,  the  latter  serving  also  as  connections  between 
the  principal  parks. 

Parks. — Progressive  .American  cities  provide  an  acre 
for  every  150  to  200  people.  On  this  basis,  as  Mr.  Comey 
points  out,  Woonsocket  should  have  now  250  or  300  acres 
in  parks,  forming  a  complete  system  for  all  sorts  of 
recreation  for  all  the  people.  The  present  parks,  three  in 
all,  will  afford  valuable  links  in  such  a  series  of  more  or 
less  natural  parks.  Rivers  and  brooks  demand  special 
attention  and  should  W  preserved  as  open  channels 
between  two  roadways. 

Grouping  of  Buildings. — Among  the  many  other  civic 
improvements  which  Mr.  Comey  recommends,  and  which 
must  be  provided  for  in  the  development  of  the  compre- 
hensive citv  plan,  is  the  grouping  of  public  and  quasi- 
public  buildings,  including  a  new  railroad  station  planned, 
possibly,  in  conjunction  with  other  civic  buildings. 

Housing  Restrictions. — But  Woonsocket  needs  ade- 
quate housing  laws.  Even  the  most  perfect  of  thorough- 
fares and  recreation  systems  will  not  avail  if  the  housing 
of  the  people  is  bad.  Fortunately,  a  study  of  housing  in 
five  of  the  largest  cities  of  Rhode  Island,  including  Woon- 
socket, was  made  in  1910,  by  Carol  Aronovici,  at  that 
time  director  of  the  Rhode  Island  Bureau  of  Research. 
Little  progress  has  been  made  since  then,  and  Mr.  Comey 
summarizes  Mr.  Aronovici's  recommendations.  Woon- 
socket's  housing  problem  is  found  to  be  serious,  and,  while 
education  is  believed  to  be  a  necessary  element  in  improv- 
ing conditions,  an  adequate  housing  law  is  most  important. 
.\  law  was  recommended  by  Mr.  Aronovici  in  his  report 
of  1 910  but  failed  of  passage.  It  is  even  more  urgent  today 
that  such  a  law  should  be  passed. 

City  Planning  Commission  Needed. — One  of  the  chief 
recommendations  which  Mr.  Comey  makes  is  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  city  plan  commission  along  the  lines  of  the  com- 
missions for  third-class  cities  in  Pennsylvania.   As  a  basis 


Kl^  ^h 

i^f'BF^W^''"'^ 

^'^I'-^.d^r^-   ^■'    -i^- 

m 

l«a«ija».j  \  'S|l 

I  hljX^  \  ill 

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WOR 


-lmli:in  Hill  House,  .Selling  at  Sj,ooo 


for  a  comprehensive  plan  prepared  by  such  a  commission, 
Mr.  Comey  states  that  certain  surveys  are  essential  as 
furnishing  the  one  reliable  foundation  for  Woonsocket's 
future  development  and  improvement.  The  first  require- 
ment is  an  adequate  topographic  map.  Then,  there  should 
be  surveys  of  the  city's  natural  resources,  such  as  water- 
power,  of  the  development  of  property,  and  of  the  range 
of  land  values,  and  the  like.  In  short,  the  commission  may 
well  undertake  as  a  part  of  its  duties  the  functions  of  a 
bureau  of  research  to  which  all  other  officials  and  any 
citizens  may  come  for  information. 

It  sane,  conservative  plans  along  the  lines  recom- 
mended by  Mr.  Comey  are  adopted,  Woonsocket  should 
gradually  develop  into  a  more  convenient,  healthful,  and 
beautiful  city,  and  continue  to  progress  indefinitely. 

Worcester 

Massachusetts 

As  a  result  of  the  work  of  the  City  Planning  Board  of 
Worcester  (163,314),  appointed  by  the  Mayor  in  June, 
1915,  a  number  of  new  streets  have  recently  been  laid  out, 
safety  zones  have  been  established,  the  movement  for  a 
zoning  system  is  well  under  way,  new  life  has  been  given 
to  the  movement  for  the  establishment  of  a  civic  center, 
and  certain  details  in  the  improvement  of  the  city  plan 
have  been  carried  out.  The  Commission,  of  which  Mark 
M.  Skerrett  is  secretary,  has  received  but  a  very  small 
appropriation  and  has  published  two  reports  of  its  work 
to  date. 

Commission  on  Relief  of  Street  Congestion. — In  1907  the 
Common  Council  and  the  Board  of  Aldermen  appointed 
a  Commission  on  the  Relief  of  Street  Congestion,  with 
Arthur  Willard  F"rench  as  chairman,  and  C.  W.  Fisher  as 
secretary.  The  duties  of  the  Commission  were  simply  to 
make  suggestions  and  recommendations  for  the  relief  of 
street  congestion.  The  Commission  felt  that  such  an 
extensive  and  complete  study  as  was  required  to  ade- 
quately solve  the  problem  with  which  it  was  confronted 
required  the  employment  of  an  expert  city  planner,  and 
that  ?io,ooo  could  be  well  spent  for  expert  advice.  The 
employment  of  such  expert  assistance  was  not  authorized 
by  the  City  Council.  However,  the  Commission  did  spend 
considerable  time  in  studying  the  city  as  a  whole,  and 
certain  sections  of  the  City  in  particular,  not  only  with  a 
view  to  relieving  congestion  of  traffic,  but  also  to  the 
development  of  the  city  and  its  outlying  sections.  In  its 
report,  published  on  December  12,  191 1,  the  Commission 
urged  more  absolute  and  particular  control  by  the  city  of 
all  street  development.  It  presented  a  plan  for  a  circum- 
ferential street  and  strongly  advocated  the  preparation  of  a 
comprehensive  plan  for  those  sections  partly  developed. 
It  made  constructive  recommendations  for  the  present 
business  sections  of  the  city,  practically  embraced  within 
a  half-mile  circle  with  the  center  at  the  City  Hall,  includ- 
ing a  new  diagonal  street,  not  less  than  80  feet  wide,  and 
parallel  with  a  part  of  the  main  street;  also  the  widening 
and  extension  of  a  number  of  other  important  streets;  the 
improvement  of  Washington  Square,  which  is,  in  a  sense, 
the  gateway  of  the  city;  and  the  location  of  a  civic  center 
properly  correlated  with  the  street  system.    All  of  these 


Crr^-    PLANNING    PROCRl.SS 


101 


Worcester. — Indian  Hill  Garden  Village. 
A  recent  application  ot  modern  town  planning  principles  to  a  development  providing  home  sites  for  employees  in  a  nearliy  factory. 


improvements  were  carefully  studied  and  planned,  and 
maps,  photographs,  and  diagrams  were  used  to  illustrate 
the  proposals. 

The  City  Gate. — In  1910,  as  the  new  union  station  in 
Worcester  approached  completion,  the  Board  of  Trade, 
responding  to  a  very  general  public  sentiment,  appointed 
a  Committee  to  again  consider  the  development  ot  Wor- 
cester's city  gate,  namely  Washington  Square.  .\t  the 
suggestion  ot  a  committee  ot  the  Board  of  Trade,  the 
Board  engaged  Olmsted  Brothers,  of  Brookline,  Mass.,  who 
made  a  report  and  detailed  plans  tor  the  development  ot 
the  city  entrance.  Owing  to  the  financial  condition  with 
which  the  city  is  confronted,  this  improvement  still 
remains  in  abeyance. 

Recreation  and  Transportation. — Worcester  has  1,1  iiS 
acres  of  parks,  divided  into  eighteen  different  tracts,  with 
two  waterfront  parks  and  a  beautiful  lakeshore  drive. 
The  city  has  several  playgrounds,  and  during  the  summer 
the  schoolyards  are  used  for  play  purposes.  The  trans- 
portation and  transit  systems  have  been  carefullv  studied; 
grade  crossings  have  been  eliminated  on  two  ot  the  rail- 
road systems  entering  the  city,  and  there  is  a  new  union 
terminal  passenger  station  with  fairly  adequate  approaches. 
The  street-car  service  is  good  and  reaches  out- tar  into  the 
suburban  territory.  .All  cars  pass  the  City  Hall,  which  is 
the  main  transfer  station,  but  here  great  congestion 
exists  which  it  is  hoped  will  be  eliminated  in  time.  The 
City  Engineer  is  now  at  work  on  a  comprehensive  street 
plan  ot  Worcester. 

Housing. — One  ot  the  most  interesting  phases  ot  city 
planning  in  Worcester  is  the  new  Indian  Hill  Garden  \'il- 
lage  for  employees  in  the  plant  of  the  Norton  (jrinding 


Company,  which  has  financed  the  enterprise.  This  is 
described  in  the  "Journal  of  the  .-//neriran  hislilKte  oj 
.Irchitects  tor  January,  1917. 

In  all  the  work  that  has  been  carried  on  to  promote 
city  planning  in  Worcester,  the  Worcester  Chapter  of  the 
.American  Institute  ot  .Architects,  the  Chamber  ot  Com- 
merce, the  Automobile  Club,  and  the  Rotary  Club,  in 
addition  to  the  City  Planning  Boanl,  have  taken  active 
parts. 

Yonkcrs 

New  York 
Tlie  City  Planning  Committee  ot  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce of  Vonkers  (99,838)  has  been  the  sponsor  for  city 
planning  in  that  city.  In  its  first  report  it  urges  the 
appropriation  of  the  sum  of  ^1,500  with  which  to  begin 
work,  this  amount  to  be  used  to  pay  tor  the  preliminary 
survev  by  experts,  honkers  is  one  ot  the  big  communities 
in  the  metropolitan  district  ot  New  York.  Its  .southern 
boundary  follows  the  line  ot  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
Borough  of  The  Bronx  of  New  '\'ork  Cit\'.  I'or  a  city  ot 
its  size  it  is  remarkably  deficient  in  all  ot  those  good  things 
which  go  to  make  tor  wholesome  community  lite.  The 
city  has  a  number  of  large  industrial  plants,  employing 
thousands  of  immigrant  laborers  whose  families  are  in 
need  of  those  things  which  only  the  community  can  sup- 
ply. For  the  well-to-do  whose  homes  line  the  more 
attractive  streets  and  occupy  the  many  fine  sites  which  the 
topography  affords,  there  is  no  need  for  better  city  plan- 
ning. The  citv  must,  however,  take  account  of  the  large 
population  which  is  in  need  ot  parks,  waterfront  recrea- 
tion grounds,  playgrounds,  and  community  centers. 


192 


CITY   PLANNING    PROGRESS 


Chamber  of  Conimeire  Committee. — The  City  Planning 
Committee  ot  the  Chamher  of  Commerce,  organized  in 
191.S,  realizes  that  its  chief  duty  is  to  support  measures  tor 
the  improvement  of  the  parks,  the  abolition  of  dangerous 
urade  crossings,  the  reclamation  ot  the  beautiful  Nep- 
perhan  River,  the  location  of  public  buildings,  the  improve- 
ment of  the  waterfront,  the  extension  ot  sanitary  facilities, 
and  the  like.  Dr.  N.  .\.  Warren,  William  F.  Schneider, 
and  Henry  G.  Issertell,  with  H.  Lansing  Quick,  and 
Norman  G.  Nims,  architects,  are  among  the  active  per- 
sons, members  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  who  are 
interested  in  comprehensive  city  planning.  The  City  has  a 
Recreation  Commissioner.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce 
has  a  special  committee  on  the  elimination  ot  grade  cross- 
ings, and  the  Chamber  is  also  at  work  on  a  plan  to  develop 
4^  miles  of  water  frontage  for  commercial  purposes. 


YouNCSTOWN. — Low-Priced    Dwellings   Erected   by   Modern 
Homes  Company. 


York 

Pennsylvania 

With  the  completion  of  the  foundation  work  with 
which  it  has  been  occupied  tor  the  past  two  years,  the 
City  Planning  Commission  of  York  (1:1,656)  expects  to 
engage  experts  to  prepare  a  comprehensive  plan.  The 
Commission  was  organized  in  September,  1914,  under  the 
Clarke  Act  governing  third-class  cities  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  has  received  an  annual  allowance  of  $250.  A.  B. 
Farquhar  has  served  as  president  of  the  Commission, 
and  John  B.  Hamme,  member  of  the  .American  Institute 
ot  .Architects,  as  secretary.  The  Commission  has  been 
assisted  to  a  certain  extent  by  members  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  preparation  of  an 
accurate  topographical  map  of  the  city  and  its  tributary 
areas.  As  a  result  of  the  Commission's  work  to  date,  the 
city  has  acquired  a  small  area  of  park  land  and  has  passed 
special  ordinances  regulating  the  laying  out  of  streets, 
fixing  curb-lines,  establishing  building-lines,  providing 
for  a  shade  tree  commission,  and  city  forester,  and  author- 
izing the  employment  of  expert  advisers.  No  reports  have 
been  published  to  date. 

Housing  and  Recreation. — Sections  of  the  city  where 


housing  conditions  are  unusually  bad  have  received 
attention,  and,  in  a  number  ot  instances,  conditions  have 
been  improved  by  the  abolishment  ot  unsanitary  dwellings. 
The  provision  ot  modern  homes  tor  workingmen  has  not 
been  attempted.  Proposals  for  the  preparation  of  housing 
laws  have  received  considerable  attention,  however,  and 
plans  are  under  consideration  tor  the  restriction  of  areas 
to  residential  use.  No  attempt  has  been  made  to  develop 
a  system  of  playgrounds  on  a  scientific  plan.  In  several 
sections  of  the  city,  playgrounds  have  been  laid  out  under 
the  direction  of  the  Civic  Committee  of  the  Women's 
Club,  of  which  Miss  Katherine  R.  Schmidt  is  chairman. 
These  grounds  have  been  equipped  with  apparatus  and 
have  served  a  very  good  purpose.  .\  land  company  has 
donated  28  acres  of  additional  grounds  to  the  School 
Board  to  be  laid  out  as  a  public  playground.  The  School 
Board  has  refused  to  permit  the  use  of  schools  and  build- 
ings for  recreation  and  community-center  work.  \'acant 
lots  and  temporary  reservations  for  playgrounds  have  not 
been  considered  up  to  this  time. 

Parks. — The  city  possesses  about  85  acres  ot  parks, 
divided  into  a  number  of  small  tracts,  a  tew  containing 
playground  features.  .Additional  areas  amounting  to 
approximately  J5  acres,  have  been  set  aside  by  the  Plan- 
ning Commission  for  future  acquisition  and  development. 
These  will  be  purchased  as  soon  as  funds  are  available. 
Between  j  and  4  miles  of  boulevard,  ranging  in  width 
from  100  to  150  feet,  have  been  projected  and  planned, 
but  not  yet  opened.  These  sections,  as  now  laid  out,  will 
form  links  in  a  prospective  system  about  15  miles  in 
length  encircling  the  city.  The  Codorus  Creek,  flowing 
through  the  city,  is  being  surveyed  with  a  view  to  laying 
out  waterfront  parks  and  broad  drives  on  both  sides  of  the 
stream.  Plans  are  now  being  laid  tor  the  extension  of  the 
city  limits  into  suburban  districts,  which  will  permit  con- 
trol over  the  layout  of  streets  and  avenues.  The  City 
Planning  Commission  has  found  the  public  slow  to  appre- 
ciate the  benefits  of  its  work  and,  in  some  instances,  it  has 
opposed  the  expenditure  of  money  for  such  purposes. 
Progress,  however,  is  being  made,  and  sentiment  in  favor 
of  city  planning  is  growing. 

Youngstown 
Ohio 

F.fforts  have  been  made  in  Youngstown  (108,385)  to 
secure  the  appointment  of  an  official  City  Planning  Com- 
mission, under  the  provisions  of  the  Ohio  city  planning 
law  (Special  .Acts,  191 5).  The  city  officials  are  cooperating 
in  an  intelligent  way  in  the  solution  of  some  ot  the  most 
urgent  problems,  and  a  special  committee  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  of  which  Charles  F.  Owsley,  member  ot  the 
.American  Institute  of  .Architects  and  of  the  National  City 
Planning  Conference,  is  chairman,  is  preparing  a  more  or 
less  comprehensive  street  plan,  involving  the  develop- 
ment of  boulevards  and  main  highways  about  the  city, 
which  is  to  be  submitted  in  a  report  ot  the  Chamber  ot 
Commerce  in  May.  The  plan  is  intended  to  provide  tor  a 
large  future  increase  in  traffic  and  is  based  on  the  require- 
ments of  a  population  three  times  that  of  the  city  at  the 
present  time. 


CITY    PLANNINC;    PROGRESS 


193 


The  work  of  city  phiiiniiig  in  its  various  phases  is  well 
appreciated  In  main  u\  Voungstown's  leading  citi/ens 
and  is  a  live  issue  in  the  city.  Mr.  Owslev  has  given  lec- 
tures on  the  suhject  from  time  to  time  and,  in  addition  to 
the  work  tor  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  on  which  he  is 
engaged,  has  preparetl  tentative  plans  tor  a  iniion  station 
ami  plaza,  soon  to  be  carried  out,  and  is  now  cngageil  in 
drawing  plans  tor  a  large  industrial  village  tor  emplovees 
in  a  local  manufacturing  plant. 

.■/cionip/is/imeiits. — There  is  a  housing  company  oper- 
ating in  Youngstown,  known  as  the  Modern  Homes  Com- 
pany. They  have  developed  a  considerable  area  with 
comfortable  and  convenient  low-priced  dwellings.  Mr. 
George  Huggins  is  secretary  ot  the  companv.  There  is  a 
Playground  .'\ssociation  actively  engaged  in  the  develop- 
ment ot  playgrounds,  and  also  a  Park  Commission.  Grade 
crossings  elinunation  is  receiving  attention  trom  the  com- 
mittee ot  the  Chamber  <>t  Commerce,  ot  which  Mr. 
Owsley  is  chairman,  and  the  railroads  are  expected  to 
present  a  tentative  plan  tor  this  work  in  the  course  ot  the 
current  year. 


Zancs\  illc 

Ohio 

l-'ollowing  a  disastrous  tlood  in  I'yl.i.  -^  ^-i')  Planning 
Conunittee  was  privately  organized  by  various  civic 
bodies  in  Zanesville  (,iO,6S_!),  including  the  Chamber  of 
Conuiierce,  the  Rotary  Club,  and  the  Public  Welfare 
.Association.  The  Committee  had  limited  tunds  but, 
nevertheless,  it  did  submit  plans  which  were  given  pub- 
licity in  local  newspapers  anil  which  ultimately  led  to  a 
general  civic  awakening  and,  constructively,  to  the  issu- 
ance of  bonds  to  provide  for  a  more  attractive  arrange- 
ment and  laniiscape  treatment  of  the  city's  public  grounds, 
park  places,  and  bridge  approaches.  Zanesville  has  75 
acres  ot  public  parks,  all  donateii  to  the  city  by  private 
owners,  but  improved  with  roaiis,  shelter-houses  and  gen- 
eral landscaping  by  public  bond  issue.  This  quota  is  still 
too  small  in  proportion  to  the  population  ot  the  city. 
The  city  is  planning  to  remodel  one  large  public  market 
and  is  looking  forward  to  the  building  of  a  new  railroad 
station. 


Ij,    SVBMITTED  BY  ICTINVS    l{|l 
Pittsburgh   Beaux-.Arts  Salon  Competition,  1916 — Prize-Winning  Design  for  Treatment  ol  Street  Intersections. 


Summary 


F.ven  a  glance  over  the  foregoing  statements  tor  indi- 
vidual cities  affords  convincing  evidence  that  the  past 
year  has  heen  one  of  great  significance  to  the  city  plan- 
ning movement.  Of  the  fifty-odd  cities  in  the  United 
States  having  over  ioo,cxx3  population,  twenty-two  have 
made  a  distinct  and  notable  contribution  during  the  past 
year.  Of  the  cities  from  25,000  to  100,000  population,  of 
which  there  are  nearly  100,  at  least  thirty  have  made 
important  and  constructive  advances  in  city  planning 
during  the  same  period.  In  the  cities  and  towns  of  lesser 
.size,  where  normally  it  is  difficult  to  arouse  interest  in  city 
planning,  a  sufficiently  large  number  have  made  contribu- 
tions of  one  kind  or  another  to  show  that  the  movement  is 
making  headway.  The  accomplishments  of  a  few  of  the 
most  important  of  the  latter  are  listed  in  this  book. 

Progress  Abroad. — In  Canada,  despite  the  war,  there 
has  been  widespread  interest  in  city  planning.  Notable 
progress  has  been  made  in  the  framing  and  passage  of  laws 
providing  cities  with  necessary  powers  tor  constructive 
work.  In  England  zeal  for  city  planning  work  shows  no 
signs  of  abatement.  Convincing  evidence  ot  this  is  the 
great  comprehensive  plan  which  is  now  being  made  tor  the 
whole  metropolitan  district  ot  London  (some  2,000  square 
miles).  In  France  all-inclusive  plans  tor  the  development 
of  the  entire  district  around  Paris  are  being  dratted,  and 
comprehensive  plans  tor  other  cities,  particularly  Lyons, 
are  well  under  way.  Perhaps  more  striking  still  are  the 
plans  which  are  being  made  tor  the  reconstruction  of  the 
bombarded  cities,  all  according  to  modern  scientific  prin- 
ciples of  city  planning.  F.urope  has  come  to  realize  the 
fact  that  city  planning  ot  this  sort  is  an  important  part 
of  the  great  lesson  in  efficiency  which  it  has  been  obliged 
to  learn  at  so  dear  a  cost. 

Significant  Facts. — In  going  through  the  statements  in 
this  book,  one  is  struck  with  the  fact  that  the  larger  a  city 
the  more  apt  it  is  to  take  up  city  planning.  The  reason  for 
this  is  obvious,  namely,  that  in  the  large  cities  the  troubles 
which  spring  trom  unguided  and  unscientific  growth  have 
become  more  and  more  evident,  so  that  even  the  least 
imaginative  are  easily  aroused  to  the  importance  ot 
adopting  measures  designed  to  prevent  the  recurrence  ot 
such  troubles  in  the  tuture.  It  only  the  smaller  cities  would 
profit  by  the  hard-learned  lessons  of  the  larger  cities,  they 
would  save  themselves  enormous  inconvenience  and 
untold  expense. 

The  Leading  Accomplishments  of  the  Year. — It  is  gen- 
erally recognized  that  the  most  important  forward  step 
in  city  planning  in  the  country  during  the  last  year  was 
the  passage  ot  the  New  York  Building  Zone  Law.  Drastic 
as  it  is,  the  law,  which  restricts  the  height,  area,  and  use 
of  every  building  within  the  whole  327  square  miles  of  the 
city,  was  put  into  effect  by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
Apportionment  on  July  25,  1916,  by  a  virtually  unani- 
mous vote.  In  the  seven  months  since  the  law  has  been  in 
force,  it  has  taken  deep  root,  and  property  owners,  gen- 
erally, are  cooperating  with  the  city  in  preventing  infrac- 
tions of  the  law.  The  restrictions  have  proved  a  popular 
success,  due  largely  to  the  thorough  and  unremitting 
campaign  ot  education  which  was  carried  on  and  for  the 
lack  of  which  city  planning  in  America  has  so  often  failed. 


Zoning  Elsen'here. — .'^s  a  result  of  the  success  of  the 
New  York  movement,  zoning  work  is  under  way  or  is 
being  agitated  in  the  tollowing  municipalities; 

.Akron  Elgin  Philadelphia 

Baltimore  Little  Rock  Sacramento 

Berkeley  Los  .Angeles  .St.  Louis 

Chicago  Milwaukee  San  Francisco 

Cleveland  Minneapolis  Seattle 

Des  Moines  Newark  Springfield 

F.ast  Orange  Omaha  Washington,  D.  C. 

This  certainly  is  a  remarkable  showing  considering  the 
space  of  time  in  which  the  movement  has  been  gaining 
impetus. 

Comprehensive  City  Plans. — It  is  particularly  interest- 
ing to  note  that  in  the  past  year  comprehensive  city  plans, 
varying  enormously,  however,  in  their  intrinsic  merit  and 
practical  adaptability  to  local  conditions,  were  inaugu- 
rated, or  have  been  prepared  for  the  following  cities: 

.Akron  East  Orange  Minneapolis 

.Allentown  Elgin  Mount  V'ernon 

Bayonne  Elmira  Newark 

Berkeley  East  Boston  Niagara  Falls 

Birmingham  Evanston  Omaha 

Boston  Fitchburg  Oakland 

Bridgeport  Flint  Pasadena 

Brockton  Greensboro  Pueblo 

ButTalo  Johnstown  Reading 

Charlotte  Lancaster  Rockford 

Cleveland  Lawrence  Sacramento 

Davenport  Lima  St.  Louis 

Detroit  Mansfield  South  Philadelphia 

Duluth  Milwaukee  Walpole 
Durham 

This  list  does  not  include  plans  ot  a  comprehensive 
character  prepared  prior  to  1916. 

Industrial  Housing. — A  significant  feature  of  plan- 
ning during  the  past  year  was  the  work  in  industrial 
housing,  the  result  of  an  unprecedented  increase  in  indus- 
trial activities  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  Some  of  the 
towns  in  which  work  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  has 
been  accomplished  in  this  field  are: 

.Akron  Kohler,  Wis.  Ojibway,  Canada 

Beloit  Lorain  Passaic 

Birmingham  Marcus  Hook,  Pa.  Rome,  N.  Y. 

Bridgeport  McDonald,  Ohio  Sparrow's  Point,  Md 

Duluth  Meriden  Stamford 

Erie  Midland,  Pa.  Waterbury 

Flint  New  Haven  W^ishington,  D.  C. 

Gloucester,  N.  J.    New  Britain  Worcester 

Kenosha  Norwich  Youngstown,  Ohio 

City  Planning  Enabling  Acts. — During  the  past  year 
California  has  passed  a  permissive  law  tor  the  appoint- 
ment of  City  Planning  Commissions,  making  five  states  in 
all  which  have  recognized  city  planning,  the  others  being 
Massachusetts,  New  Jersey,  New  York,  and  Ohio.  A 
state-wide  campaign  was  carried  on  in  Indiana  in  1916 
to  secure  the  passage  of  a  bill  providing  for  city  plan- 
ning commissions  in  cities  in  the  state.  .Although  the  bill 
failed  to  pass  the  legislature,  there  is  every  expectation  that 
it  will  be  made  a  law  at  the  next  session,  two  years  hence. 
In  Michigan,  North  Carolina,  Texas,  and  Utah  campaigns 
for  state  recognition  of  city  planning  are  now  being  waged. 
Massachusetts  has  recently  passed  a  law  providing  tor  the 
appointment  of  boards  of  survey  with  control  over  plat- 


194 


CITY   PLAWIXC;    PRCXiRKSS 


'95 


ting.  Pennsylvania  has  passed  a  law  permitting  the 
appointment  ot  zoning  commissions  in  cities  ot  the  first 
class. 

Local  City  Planuing  Ordinances. —  In  the  course  of  the 
year  ordinances  have  been  passed  in  .Akr<>n,  .Altoona, 
Bayonne,  Kast  Orange,  Klmira,  Hazelton,  Johnstown, 
Mansfield,  Niagara  Falls,  Toledo,  ami  in  a  niimher  of 
California  cities,  notably,  .Alameda,  Fresno,  l.os  .Angeles, 
Palo  Alto,  San  Diego,  San  Jose,  Santa  Monica  and  San 
Rafael,  creating  city  planning  commissions  under  state 
permissive  laws.  Special  ordinances  have  been  passed  in 
Cincinnati,  Durham,  Flint,  Milwaukee,  Muskegon,  and 
New  Britain  creating  planning  commissions. 

Zoning  Ordinances. — Ordinances  making  zoning  con- 
trol efl^ective  have  been  passed  in  Berkelev,  New  York, 
and  Sacramento.  Ordinances  creating  zoning  commis- 
sions have  been  passed  in  Philadelphia  and  Minneapolis. 
Similar  steps  are  being  taken  in  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Cleve- 
land, Baltimore,  San  Francisco,  Milwaukee,  Newark, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Omaha,  Springfield,  Des  Moines, 
.Akron,  East  Orange,  and  Mansfield. 

Interurban  Co>iJerences. — It  has  become  more  and  more 
obvious  that  city  planning  in  the  case  ot  larger  cities  must 
not  stop  at  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city.  It  is  to  the 
advantage  ot  the  entire  tributary  area,  as  well  as  to  the 
central  city,  that  all  ot  the  communities  within  the 
metropolitan  area  should  come  together  tor  a  unified 
solution  ot  their  common  problems.  It  was  the  vital 
importance  ot  this  idea  that  prompted  Newark,  N.  J., 
after  four  years  ot  struggle  with  her  plans,  to  take  steps 
to  organize  the  Conference  on  Interurban  Improvement, 
with  Harland  Bartholomew  as  secretary.  -At  regular 
intervals  the  city  engineers  or  other  representatives  (jt 
some  eighteen  neighboring  towns  came  together  to  dis- 
cuss frankly  their  common  problems.  This  "clearing- 
house" has  been  ot  the  greatest  value.  It  has  served  not 
onlv  to  settle  difficulties  arising  where  towns  touched  one 
another,  but  has  made  it  feasible  to  work  out  compre- 
hensive plans  for  the  development  of  the  whole  Newark 
metropolitan  area.  More  than  that,  it  has  served  to 
arouse  from  their  lethargy  the  more  backward  towns,  and 
all  have  had  an  opportunity  to  become  familiar  with  the 
best  planning  practice. 

Philadelphia  had  similar  difficulties,  and  to  solve  them 
created,  two  years  ago,  the  Metropolitan  Suburban  Plan- 
ning Commission,  of  which  Geo.  R.  Sullivan,  ot  Merion, 
Pa.,  was  secretary.  The  jurisdiction  of  this  Commission 
was  supposed  to  extend  over  all  of  the  suburban  area 
surrounding  Philadelphia.  Unfortunately,  it  was  declared 
unconstitutional  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  state.  Since 
then,  however,  the  Citv  Parks  Association  has  endeavored 
to  secure  voluntarv  action,  with  much  the  same  efl^ect, 
through  a  semi-official  conmiittee,  known  as  the  Compre- 
hensive Plans  Committee,  of  which  John  Hall  Rankin, 
member  of  the  .American  Institute  of  .Architects,  is 
chairman. 

In  1915  there  was  organized  in  Boston  what  was  known 
as  the  Council  of  Fifty,  with  \V.  R.  Greeley  as  chairman 
and  E.  B.  Mero  as  secretary,  composed  of  representatives 
of  civic  and  social  organizations  interested  in  an  adequate 
and  practical  plan  for  the  development  ot  the  Boston  dis- 
trict.   In  November,  lyif,  they  held  a  great  exhibition  ot 


city  planning  at  the  State  House.  The  chief  object  of  the 
Council  was  to  conduct  a  campaign  of  education  through- 
out the  metropolitan  Boston  district  as  to  the  meaning 
and  need  of  city  planning. 

Cintnty  Planning. — One  of  the  most  important  steps 
in  planning  that  has  yet  been  taken  in  this  country  is  in 
the  creation  of  the  Westchester  County  (New  York) 
Planning  Commission,  of  which  Chas.  H.  Tibbits  is  chair- 
man, and  Herbert  E.  Angell,  of  White  Plains,  is  secretary. 
It  has  become  more  and  more  obvious  that  there  is  great 
need  for  planning  between  towns,  anil  that  it  is  only  hv 
carrying  out  comprehensive  schemes  for  these  inter- 
vening areas,  while  planning  is  still  easy  and  cheap,  that 
great  trouble  is  going  to  be  saved  in  the  future.  This  Com- 
mission is  making  comprehensive  plans  for  the  whole 
county,  laying  particular  emphasis  on  thoroughfares, 
transit  lines,  parks,  and  parkways. 

New  York  Metrnpolilan  Conference. — On  March  10, 
1917,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Westchester  County  Plan- 
ning Commission,  and  at  the  invitation  of  the  City  Club 
of  New  York,  there  was  held  in  New  York  a  conference  of 
ninety-six  individuals,  with  Nelson  L.  Lewis  and  Frank 
B.  Williams  presiding,  representing  over  fiftv  different 
cities  and  towns  within  the  New  York  metropolitan  area. 
The  sentiment  was  unanimous  that  they  should  organize 
permanently  tor  the  consideration  of  their  common  prob- 
lems. It  was  felt,  however,  that  it  would  be  much  more 
practicable  to  make  this  organization  unofficial  rather 
than  official.  It  is  expected  that  monthly  conferences,  at 
least,  will  be  held  as  soon  as  the  organization  is  completed. 

State  Planni>ig  Conferences. — In  191  5  there  was  formed 
in  Massachusetts  a  State  Federation  ot  Planning  Boards, 
of  which  Charles  S.  Bird,  Jr.,  of  Walpole,  is  chairman, 
whose  function  is  to  aid  the  town  planning  bodies  of  the 
individual  communities  and  to  help  to  bring  together 
neighboring  towns  for  harmonious  action.  This  Federa- 
tion has  held  two  important  conferences  which  have  been 
very  generally  attended  and  have  been  productive  of 
splendid  results. 

In  California,  the  State  Commission  of  Immigration 
and  Housing  has  served  to  propagandize  city  planning 
throughout  the  state,  and  more  than  that,  has  served  as  a 
bureau  of  advice  and  information  to  all  the  cities  and  towns 
that  are  interested  in  city  planning. 

Particularlv  active  in  citv  planning,  however,  has  been 
the  California  Conference  on  City  Planning,  which  is  a 
state-wide  organization  tor  the  promulgation  ot  city 
planning  information  and  for  the  guidance  ot  the  new 
citv  planning  commissions  of  the  state.  F.  C.  Wheeler, 
of  Los  Angeles,  is  president,  and  Charles  H.  Cheney,  of 
San  Francisco,  secretary.  The  Conference  has  been  hold- 
ing lectures  in  a  number  of  cities  since  1914.  As  a  result 
of  its  activities,  the  state  legislature  passed  a  City  Plan- 
ning Law  in  I915,  under  which  eighteen  California  cities 
have  already  appointed  city  planning  commissions.  The 
Commonwealth  Club  ot  California  has  also  helped  actively 
in  this  work  through  its  City  Planning  Section,  of  which 
Henry  G.  Meyer  is  chairman,  and  C.  H.  Cheney,  member 
of  the  Committee  on  Town  Planning  ot  the  .American 
Institute  of  .Architects,  is  secretary. 

The  Texas  Town  and  City  Planning  .Association,  of 
which  E.  H.  McCuistion,  of  Paris,  is  president,  and  J.  V. 


196 


cnv  PLANNiNc;  pr()(;rkss 


Surratt,  of  Sherman,  secretary,  has  already  held  several 
annual  conferences  which  have  been  largely  attended  and 
which  have  served  to  disseminate  city  planning  knowledge 
and  interest  throughout  the  state.  They  have  also  pro- 
moted a  number  ot  good  bills  affecting  city  planning. 

The  State  .Association  of  Planning  Boards  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, which  was  formed  in  July,  1916,  and  ot  which  A.  B. 
Farquhar,  of  New  York,  is  chairman,  and  John  L.  Rockey, 
of  Harrisburg,  secretary,  is  similar  in  character  to  the 
Massachusetts  Federation  of  Planning  Boards.  Its  func- 
tion is  to  advance  work  of  the  various  city  planning  com- 
missions of  the  state  by  cooperative  effort  with  the  legis- 
lature and  by  a  study  of  their  common  problems. 

The  Massachusetts  Homestead  Commission,  of  which 
Charles  F.  Gettemy  is  chairman,  and  Henry  Sterling  is 
secretary,  was  organized  according  to  Chapter  607  of  the 
Acts  of  191 1,  and  is  almost  a  state-wide  planning  com- 
mission. While  its  duties  relate  primarily  to  housing,  it  has 
been  found  that  its  work  overlaps  general  city  planning  at 
so  many  points  that  it  has  had  to  consider  planning  as  an 
integral  part  of  its  work.  The  Commission  is  very  care- 
ful, however,  not  to  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  work  ot 
the  local  city  planning  commissions.  Its  aim  is  rather  to 
cooperate  at  every  point  where  it  comes  in  contact  with 
the  local  bodies. 

Stiite  Bureaus  of  Mutiicipal  Information. — The  State 
Bureau  of  Municipal  Information  ot  the  New  York  State 
Conference  of  Mayors,  of  which  William  P.  Capes  is 
director,  came  into  existence  about  two  years  ago.  The 
State  Conference  ot  Mayors  has  an  important  advisory 
committee  on  city  planning,  and  it  has  been  the  function 
of  the  Bureau  of  Information  to  compile  and  disseminate 
among  the  cities  of  the  state  information  directly  bearing 
on  city  planning.  It  has  proved  of  the  greatest  value  in 
helping  to  standardize  practice  and  in  saving  waste.  It  has, 
furthermore,  served  as  a  strong  propagandizing  medium. 
Slate  Leagues  of  Municipalities. — The  majority  of 
states  throughout  the  country  have  state  leagues  ot  munici- 
palities, similar  in  character  to  the  New  York  State  Con- 
ference of  Mayors.  While  no  other  state  besides  New  York 
has  a  paid  permanent  bureau  of  information,  they  are  all, 
in  so  far  as  they  are  able,  distributing  city  planning  intor- 
mation  among  their  own  cities. 

State  Planning  Co?nmissions. — It  is  becoming  more  and 
more  apparent  that  there  is  need  in  every  state  tor  a  con- 
trolling body  with  powers  similar  to  those  ot  the  Local 
Government  Board  in  England.  Under  English  town 
planning  laws,  every  item  ot  city  replanning  or  extension 
has  to  be  passed  upon  by  the  Local  Government  Board,  a 
national  institution.  While  bearing  in  mind  the  neces- 
sity ot  preserving  the  individuality  ot  towns,  a  state  con- 
trolling board  helps  materially  to  standardize  practice 
and  prevent  waste. 

National  City  Planning  Conferences. — The  Ninth 
Annual  National  Conference  in  City  Planning  was  held 
on  May  7,  8  and  9,  at  Kansas  City.  These  conferences, 
held  in  a  different  city  each  year,  have  been  ot  inestimable 
value  in  spreading  the  gospel  of  city  planning  and  in 
standardizing  practice.  The  Conference,  of  which  Flavel 
Shurtleff,  ot  Boston,  is  secretary,  numbers  among  its 
members  persons  in  various  lines  of  activity  who  are 
interested  in  city  planning.   The  annual  dues  are  $s  a  year. 


Members  receive  each  year  a  copy  ot  the  "Proceedings"  ot 
the  annual  meeting  and  the  Quarterly  Bulletin  "The 
Citv  Plan."  The  Conference  can  accomplish,  however, 
only  a  small  part  of  the  work  that  it  is  called  upon  to  do 
on  account  of  its  present  limited  resources. 

National  Bureau  of  City  Planning. — At  the  meeting  ot 
the  National  City  Planning  Conference  in  Detroit,  in 
June,  1915,  and  again  in  Cleveland,  on  June,  1916,  dele- 
gates from  fifteen  prominent  national  organizations  came 
together  to  consider  how  they  could  cooperate  in  city 
planning  work.  George  B.  Ford,  of  New  York,  pre- 
sided. A  Committee  on  Plan  and  Scope  was  appointed, 
with  A.  W.  Crawford,  of  Philadelphia,  as  chairman.  .After 
a  survey  of  the  field,  and  with  the  experience  ot  the  State 
Federation  of  Planning  Boards,  and  particularly  the  work 
of  the  State  Bureaus  of  Municipal  Information  in  mind,  the 
Committee  concluded  that  the  educational  work  should  be 
national  rather  than  state;  in  other  words,  that  there 
could  be  a  very  considerable  saving  ot  effort  it  all  the  col- 
lecting and  disseminating  of  planning  information  were 
concentrated  in  a  national  bureau,  located  preferably  at 
W'ashington,  in  connection  with  the  Bureau  ot  Education 
of  the  Department  of  the  Interior.  This  matter  has 
already  been  presented  to  various  authorities  in  Wash- 
ington by  Messrs.  Crawford,  Ford,  and  Richard  B. 
Watrous,  and  has  been  received  favorably.  It  is  generally 
felt  that  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time  before  such  a  federal 
bureau  of  municipal  information  will  be  formed,  particu- 
larlv  if  it  should  be  made  to  include  city  administration, 
management,  health,  and  social  welfare,  instead  of  con- 
fining its  eftbrts  solely  to  city  planning. 

Instruction  in  City  Planning. — In  the  work  of  instruc- 
tion in  city  planning  in  our  universities  and  colleges,  it  is 
encouraging  to  note  that  great  progress  is  being  made. 
Nine  schools  are  giving  full  courses  of  lectures  in  this 
field.  At  the  University  of  Illinois  there  is  a  chair  of  civic 
design  held  by  Charles  Mulford  Robinson.  Harvard 
University  gives  courses  in  city  planning  at  the  School  ot 
Landscape  .Architecture,  with  Prof.  James  Sturgis  Pray 
in  charge.  Full  courses,  or  lectures,  are  also  given  at  the 
University  of  Michigan  by  .Aubrey  Tealdi;  at  Cornell 
University  in  the  Department  of  Landscape  .Architecture 
under  the  leadership  particularly  of  Prof.  Clarence  Martin, 
member  of  the  American  Institute  of  Architects;  at  the 
University  of  Wisconsin  in  the  Engineering  Department; 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  where  the  studies 
include,  also,  housing  and  landscape  architecture;  at 
Throop  College  of  Technology,  with  George  A.  Damon  in 
charge;  at  the  University  of  Minnesota;  and  at  the  Chi- 
cago School  of  Civics  and  Philanthropy,  of  which  Graham 
Taylor  is  the  director.  .At  Columbia  University  courses 
were  given  for  several  years  by  George  B.  F'ord. 

Nation  Planning. — .A  step  has  even  been  taken  toward 
nation  planning  in  the  formation  of  a  Joint  Board  of 
Nation  Planning,  whose  primary  object  is  to  devise  a  plan 
for  national  routes  similar  to  the  Routes  Nationales  in 
France.  Cyrus  Kehr,  landscape  architect,  of  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  is  the  chief  backer  of  this  movement. 

National  Planning  Abroad. — In  the  Dominion  of 
Canada  there  is  what  may  be  termed  a  bureau  of  town 
planning,  organized  in  191J,  and  supported  by  the  Com- 
mission of  Conservation,  with  offices  at  Ottawa.    Thomas 


CITY    H.ANNING    PKOC.KKSS 


197 


Adams,  formerly  Town  Planning  Advisfr  to  the  Local 
Government  Board  of  England,  is  head  of  the  Bureau, 
in  the  capacity  ot  town  planning  adviser  to  the  Commis- 
sion. This  bureau  is  taking  a  very  important  part  in  the 
work  of  propagandizing  city  planning  throughout  the 
Dominion.  In  the  issues  of  the  quarterlv  bulletin  of  the 
Commission,  entitled  "The  Conservation  of  Life,"  there 
is  given  an  impressive  record  of  what  has  been  accom- 
plished under  Mr.  .Adams'  leadershiji  during  the  three 
years  ot  his  incumbency. 

In  England  there  is  the  well-known  Institute  of  Town 
Planning,  ot  which  Raymond  Unwin,  of  Hampstead,  is 
president.  The  Institute  is  a  technical  body,  the  chief 
function  ot  which  is  the  determmation  ot  better  methoiis 
ot  work,  and  mcludes  in  its  membership  almost  all  of  the 
leaders  in  city  planning.  There  is  also  the  Garden  Cities 
and  Town  Planning  .Association,  of  which  Ewart  G. 
Culpin,  ot  London,  is  secretary.  This  is  the  great  city 
planning  propagandizing  body  ot  the  country,  and  there  is 
also  the  National  Housing  and  Town  Planning  Council,  ot 
which  Henry  R.  .Aldridge  is  the  director.  This  Councd 
has  been  instrumental  in  securmg  many  badly  needed 
retorms  in  housing.  .At  Liverpool  is  the  School  ot  Civic 
Design,  in  connection  with  the  L'niversity  of  Liverpool, 
with  Prot.  Patrick  .Abercrombie  in  charge.  The  quarterly 
Town  Pianiii)!^  Review,  read  throughout  the  world,  and  a 
valuable  source  ot  information  to  all  interested  in  city 
planning,  is  edited  by  Protessor  Abercrombie  and  pub- 
lished at  Liverpool. 

In  France  there  has  recently  been  organized  a  Town 
Planning  Institute,  with  Eugene  Henard  as  president.  .\ 
Garden  Citv  .Association,  modeled  after  the  British  .Asso- 
ciation and  performing  a  similar  work,  is  also  active. 
George  Benoit-Levi  is  secretary. 

Germany  has  strong  associations  whose  interests  center 
on  citv  planning  and  which  have  been  active  tor  years. 
Dr.  J.  StiJbben,  the  doyen  of  city  planning,  has  long  been 
one  of  the  great  moving  spirits.  .An  organ  of  great  service 
to  German  city  planners  and  others  is  Der  Staedtebau,  a 
monthly  magazine  published  at  Berlin  and  founded  by 
Theodore  Goecke  and  Caniillo  Sitte,  two  eminent  leaders 
in  the  city  planning  movement  in  Germany  and  .Austria. 
The  German  Garden  City  Society,  of  which  Dr.  Kaniptf- 
meyer  is  the  leader,  has  had  great  success.  Other  Euro- 
pean countries  have  followed  in  the  same  line. 

International  Planning  Associations. — There  is  even 
an  International  Garden  Cities  and  Town  Planning 
.Association,  formed  in  July,  1914,  just  before  the  outbreak 
of  hostilities.  Ebenezer  Howard  is  president,  and  Ewart 
G.  Culpin,  secretary.  P'rank  B.  Williams,  of  New  York, 
and  Richard  B.  VVatrous,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  are  the 
.American  members  of  the  General  Committee  of  the 
-Association.  There  is  also  an  organization  called  the 
International  Union  of  Cities,  organized  in  Belgivim  in 
19IJ  to  serve  as  an  international  center  tor  the  tlistribu- 
tion  of  information  on  city  planning.  Emile  Braun, 
Burgomaster  of  the  city  of  Ghent,  is  president  ot  the 
Executive  Committee;  Paul  Saintenoy,  architect,  ot 
Brussels,  is  general  secretary  of  the  Section  on  Construc- 
tion; Emile  \'inck  is  general  secretary  of  the  Section  on 
.Administration;  and  Paul  Otlet  is  general  secretary  of  the 
Section  on  Exhibition. 


EJfeil  of  the  It'ar  on  City  P/aniiinx.  The  advent  of  war 
has  made  citv  planning  of  tar  more  vital  ami  pressing 
imjiortance  than  it  has  ever  been  before.  City  planners  in 
Europe  are  takini;  an  active  part  in  war  planning  by  help- 
ing to  solve,  for  example,  the  haril  problems  which  arise 
in  the  hamiling  of  large  boilies  ot  men  or  huge  quantics  of 
supplies;  or  in  the  planning  of  through  routes  in  or  around 
cities  or  across  the  intervening  country.  Every  city,  state, 
and  nation  must,  for  its  own  safety,  if  for  no  other  reason, 
give  attention  to  the  location  of  adequate  thoroughfares  in 
all  liirections.  France,  for  example,  is  today  one  vast 
network  of  inter-communicating  military  routes. 

With  regard  to  transit  lines  and  railroad  connections 
the  same  needs  and  opportunities  exist.  The  cities  of 
France  have  generally  doubled,  trebled,  and  even  quad- 
rupled their  passenger  and  freight  handling  facilities 
since  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  antl  even  now  they  are 
enlarging  and  extending  them  continuously. 

.Aeroplane  landing  fields  and  training  fields  are  impor- 
tant requirements  in  time  of  war.  Every  city  of  any 
importance  in  France  has  today  large  fields  (,^0  acres  as  a 
minimum)  for  these  purposes,  located  as  near  the  city 
center  as  practicable.  They  expect  to  continue  anti  ile- 
velop  this  use  commercially  after  the  war. 

Making  waterways  and  canals  more  usable  has  proved 
a  great  feature  of  the  work  in  France.  In  the  carriage  of 
great  quantities  of  supplies  of  large  bulk  and  heavy 
weight,  water  transportation  has  proven  much  cheaper 
than  railroad  transportation.  .At  the  same  time,  it  relieves 
the  railroads  from  heavy  burdens  which,  in  the  exigencies 
of  war,  is  a  factor  no  country  can  atFord  to  discount. 

The  location  and  preparation  ot  sites  for  mobilization, 
training,  detention,  and  prison  camps  also  furnishes  great 
opportunities  for  city  planners  to  be  ot  service. 

.A  most  important  phase  of  war  planning  is  the  housing 
of  industrial  workers.  In  Europe  great  workingmen's 
housing  developments  have  sprung  up  around  all  ot  the 
munition  and  supply  plants.  .A  number  of  the  European 
city  planners  are  devoting  all  their  attention  now  to 
industrial  housing.  .As  a  result  ot  their  investigations  and 
ingenious  solutions  of  difficult  problems,  it  has  been  pos- 
sible for  the  governments  at  war  to  save  huge  sums  by 
providing,  for  example,  buildings  readily  convertible  to 
other  uses  after  the  war  and,  at  the  same  time,  furnish- 
ing healthful  and  agreeable  homes  for  munition  workers. 

Ihe  war  in  Europe  has  brought  out  overwhelming 
evidence  of  the  necessity  ot  "Preparedness  for  Peace," 
and  in  no  other  direction  so  much  as  in  city  planning. 
Everywhere  one  finds  growing  evidence  of  the  realiza- 
tion on  the  part  ot  city  aciministrators  that  the  economic 
competition  of  the  future  can  be  met  only  by  planning 
immediately  on  a  broad  scale  and  on  the  most  efficient 
basis  to  offset  such  conqietition.  Cities  have  found  that 
they  must  be  planned  in  a  most  convenient,  healthful, 
and  businesslike  way  -that  all  waste  must  be  eliminated 
— if  they  are  successfully  to  adjust  themselves  to  the  new 
and  more  intensive  phases  of  life  and  business  which  are 
certain  to  follow  the  termination  ot  the  war.  This  is  the 
great  lesson  that  the  war  has  taught  the  cities  and  the 
nations  of  Europe.  .America,  and  her  cities  in  particular, 
must  profit  by  this  lesson,  or  else  be  left  tar  behind  in  the 
great  economic  race  of  the  future. 


Brief  List  of  References  on  City  Planning' 

By  THEODORA   KIMBALL 

Lilirarian,  School  of  Landscape  Architecture,  Harvard  University 


Bibliography 

Abercrombie,  Patrick.  Town  planning  literature;  a 
brief  summary  of  its  present  extent.  A  paper  read  at  a 
meeting  of  the  Town  Planning  Institute.  (Town  plan- 
ning review,  Oct.  1915,  v.  6,  p.  77-100.) 

.American  City.  List  of  .American  city^lanning  reports. 
(American  city,  Dec.  1914,  v.  11,  p.  490-497.)  Also 
reprinted  as  .American  City  Pamphlet  no.  124. 

Check  List  of  references  on  city  planning.  Compiled  by 
the  Division  of  Bibliography,  Library  of  Congress,  and 
the  Department  of  Landscape  .Architecture,  Harvard 
University. 

(Special  libraries.  May,  1912,  v.  3,  No.  5,  p.  61-123.) 
Both  general  and  local  references. 

Kimball,  Theodora.  Classified  selected  list  of  references 
on  citv  planning.  Boston,  National  Conference  on  City 
Planning,  1915.    48  p. 

For  the  student  and  practitioner  of  city  planning,  repre- 
senting both  .American  and  foreign  literature. 

Periodicals 

American  Citv.  New  York,  The  American  City  Pub- 
lishing Co.,  v.  I,  Sept.  1909,  to  date,    illus.    plans. 

Citv  Plan;  published  quarterly  as  the  official  organ  of  the 
National  Conference  on  City  Planning.  Boston,  v.  i. 
Mar.  1915,  to  date. 

Garden  Cities  and  town  planning.  London,  Garden 
Cities  and  Town  Plannuig  .Association,  v.  i,  Oct.  1904, 
to  date,    illus.    plans. 

Town  Planning  Review.  The  journal  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Civic  Design  at  the  School  of  Architecture  of 
the  University  of  Liverpool.  Liverpool,  v.  i,  Apr.  1910, 
to  date,    illus.    plans. 

General  Works 

American  .Academv  of  Political  and  Social  Science. 
Housing  and  town  planning.    Philadelphia,  The  Acad- 
emy, 1914.    296  p.    (Annals,  v.  LL) 
A  series  of  short  articles. 

Cadbury,  George,  Jr.  Town  planning,  with  special 
reference  to  the  Birmingham  schemes.  London,  Long- 
mans, Green  &  Co.,  1915.    201  p.    illus.    plans. 

Lewis,  N.  P.    The  planning  of  the  modern  city.    New 
York,  J.  Wiley  &  Sons,  1916.    423  p.    illus.    plans. 
From  the  point  of  view  of  the  municipal  engineer. 

Marsh,  B.  C.  .An  introduction  to  city  planning;  democ- 
racy's challenge  to  the  .American  city,  with  a  chapter 
on  the  technical  phases  of  city  planning,  by  G.  B.  Ford. 
New  York  [1909].    156  p.    illus.    plans. 

*Only  references  in  the  English  language  have  been  included 
in  this  list. 


Mawson,   T.    H.     Civic   art;   studies   in    town    planning, 
parks,   boulevards   and   open   spaces.     London,    B.   T. 
Batsford,  191 1.    375  p.    illus.    plans. 
Especially  interesting  for  its  drawings. 

National  Conference  on  City  Planning.  Proceed- 
ings. 1st,  1909,  published  in  Senate  document  no.  422, 
6ist  Congress,  2d  Session.  2d. -8th,  published  by  the 
Conference,  Boston,  1910-1916. 
Nolen,  John,  ed.  City  planning;  a  series  of  papers 
presenting  the  essential  elements  of  a  city  plan.  New 
York,  D.  .Appleton  &  Co.,  1916.  447  p.  illus.  plans. 
(National  Municipal  League  series.) 

Papers  by  seventeen  experts,  constituting  a  good  introduc- 
tion to  the  subject.  For  an  excellent  statement  of  what 
city  planning  means,  see  the  introductory  chapter  by  F. 
L.  Olmsted. 

Pray,  J.  S.  and  T.  Kimball.  City  planning;  a  compre- 
hensive analysis  of  the  subject  arranged  for  the  classi- 
fication of  books,  plans,  photographs,  notes  and  other 
collected  material,  with  alphabetic  subject  index.  Cam- 
bridge, Harvard  L'niversity  Press,  1913.     103  p. 

Robinson,  C.  M.  City  planning,  with  special  reference 
to  the  planning  ot  streets  and  lots.  New  York.  G.  P. 
Putnam's  Sons,  1916.    344  p.    illus.    plans. 

, The  improvement  ot  towns  and  cities;  or. 

The  practical  basis  ot  civic  aesthetics.    New  York,  G. 
P.  Putnam's  Sons,  4th  rev.  ed.,  1913.   3i3p. 
.Also  a  good  introductory  book. 

Modern  civic  art;  or.  The  citv  made  beau- 


tiful.   New  York,  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  2d  ed.,    1904 
and  1909.    381  p.    illus. 
Royal  Institute  of  British  Architects.    Town  plan- 
ning  conference,   London,    1910.     Transactions.     Lon- 
don, The  Institute,  191 1.    812  p.    illus.    plans. 
Especially  valuable  on  the  historical  side. 

Town  Planning  Institute.  Papers  and  discussions, 
1914-15.    London,  The  Institute,  1916.    v.  i.    plans. 

Triggs,  H.  I.  Town  planning,  past,  present  and  possible. 
London,  Methuen  &  Co.  [1909].  334  p.  valuable  illus. 
and  plans. 

Contains  an  historical  chapter. 

L^nwin,  Raymond.  Town  planning  in  practice;  an  intro- 
duction to  the  art  ot  designing  cities  and  suburbs. 
London,  T.  F.  Unwin,  2d.  ed.,  191 1  and  1913.  416  p 
valuable  illus.  and  plans. 

.Also  contains  an  historical  chapter. 

Legal,  .Administrative,  and  Technical 
Aspects 

.Aronovici,    Carol.     The    social    survey.     Philadelphia, 
Harper  Press,  1916.    255  p.    illus.    plans.    (Bureau  for 
Social  Research  of  the  Seybert  Institution.) 
Note  especially  chapter:    The  city  plan,  p.  J4-43. 


198 


CITY   PLANNING    PROCJRKSS 


'99 


Chenev,  C.  H.  What  city  planning  commissions  can  do, 
San  Francisco,  June,  191 5.  22  p.  illus.  plans.  (Cali- 
fornia Conference  on  City  Planning,  Bulletin  no.  i.) 

CoMEV,  A.  C.  A  schedule  of  civic  surveys.  May  19W). 
16  p.  (Massachusetts  Homestead  Commission,  Hulk- 
tin  no.  5.) 

For  the  use  ot  town  planniiii;  boards. 

Ford,  George  B.  Building  zones,  a  handliook,  with 
especial  reference  to  their  application  in  New  York 
City  under  the  zone  resolution  of  July  25th,  1916. 
New  York,  Lawyers  Mortgage  Company,  1917.  64  p. 
plans. 

Contains  chapters  on  constitutionality  of  districtinj;  and 

application  of  zoning  to  any  town. 

Goodrich,  E.  P.,  and  G.  B.  Ford.  Report  of  suggested 
plan  of  procedure  for  City  Plan  Commission,  Jersey 
City,  N.  J.    As  of  Nov.  .^o,  1912.    Issued  May  i,  191,5. 

An  interesting  local  example  capable  of  wider  application. 

Lewis,  N.  P.  Financing  a  city  plan.  (Chapter  19  in  his 
The  planning  ot  the  modern  citv,  Hjifi,  p.  j59-jH8.) 
See  above  under  General. 

Replaces   his  earlier  pamphlet   "Paying   the   bills   for  city 
planning." 

Massachusetts  HoMEsrEAD  Commission.  Information 
and  suggestions  tor  city  and  town  planning  boards. 
Nov.  1914.    12  p.  (Bulletin  no.  2.) 

MuNRO,  \V.  B.  Principles  and  methods  of  municipal 
administration.  New  York,  Macmillan  Co.,  1916.  491 
p.    illus.    plans. 

Note  especially:     Chapter  1,  Cit>    planning,  p.  30-73,  ami 

Chapter  3,  Streets,  p.  74-121. 

New  York  (City).  Commission  on  Buii.dinc,  DisrRicrs 
AND  Restrictions.  Final  (abridged)  report,  June  2, 
1916.  New  York,  Board  of  Estimate  and  .Apportion- 
ment. Committee  on  the  City  Plan,  1916.  100  p.  illus. 
plans. 


Final   (comprehensive)    report,  June    2nd,    1916.     New 
York,   Board  ot   Estimate  and  .Apportionment.     Com- 
mittee on  the  Citv  Plan.    Published    1917.    299  ji'.  illus. 
plans. 
, Heights  of   Blii.dings  Commission.    Re- 


i 


port  to  the  Committee  on  the  height,  size  and  arrange- 
ment ot  buildings  ot  the  Board  ot  Estimate  and  .Appor- 
tionment ot  the  City  ot  New  York.  Dec.  2j,  191.5.  295 
p.    illus.    plans. 

Contains  valuable  appendices  covering  F.uropean  practice 

in  districting. 

Olmsted,  F.  L.,  Jr.  A  city  planning  program.  (In  Pro- 
ceedings ot  5th  National  Conference  on  City  Planning, 
1913,  p.  1-16.) 

Prav,  J.  S.  The  survey  tor  a  city  plan.  Paper  betore  the 
.Annual  Conterence  ot  Mayors  and  other  City  Officials 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  1914.  (Landscape  .Archi- 
tecture, Oct.  1914,  V.  5,  p.  5-14.) 

Shurtleff,  Flavel  and  F.  L.  Olmsied,  Jr.  Carrying  out 
the  city  plan;  the  practical  application  ot  .American  law 
in  the  execution  of  city  plans.  New  York,  Survey 
Associates,  191 4.  349  p.  (Russell  Sage  Foundation. 
Publications.) 


Williams,  I'".  B.  Legal  methods  ot  carrying  out  the  changes 

proposed  in  the  city  plan  for  Bridgeport.     (In   Nolen, 

John.    Better  citv  planning  for  Bridgeport,  191'!,  p.  121- 

K9-) 

Most  siigticsrivc  tor  other  cities. 

\N  Ml  i-iEN,  R.  H.  The  constitution  ami  powers  of  a  city 
planning  authority.  (In  Proceedings  of  7th  National 
Conterence  on  City  Planning,  1915,  p.  135-I4J.) 

With  discussion  and  tabulation  ot  results  of  questionnaire. 

Social  and  I'.conoinic  A.spects 

Ci.AV,  S.  H.  City  building.  A  citation  ot  methods  in  use 
in  more  than  one  hundred  cities  for  the  solution  of 
important  problems  in  the  [Progressive  growth  of  the 
.American  municipality.  Cincinnati,  Clark  Publishing 
Co.,  19 13.     164  p. 

Howe,  F.  C.  European  cities  at  work.  New  York,  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons,  1913.    370  p.   illus.    plan. 

(Joufre^-,  Hollis.  The  health  of  the  city.  Boston, 
Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  1910.    372  p. 

McV'ev,  F.  L.  The  making  ot  a  town.  Chicago,  .A. 
McClurg  &  Co.,  1913.    221  p. 

Nafional  Conference  on  Housing.  Housing  problems 
in  .America.  Proceedings  ot  the  Conference,  ist-6th, 
1911-1916. 

Pollock,  H.  M.  and  W.  S.  Morgan.  Modern  cities; 
progress  ot  the  awakening  for  their  betterment  here  and 
in  Europe.  New  York,  i'liiik  &  Wagnalls  Co.,  1913. 
418  p.    illus.    plans. 

N'killer,  Lawrence.  Housing  reform,  a  hand-book  tor 
practical  use  in  American  cities.  New  '^'ork.  Charities 
Publication  Committee,  1910.  213  p.  (Russell  Sat;e 
Foundation.    Publications.) 

The  ideas  ot  this  book  are  applied  in  .Mr.  W-iller's  .Model 
Housing  Law,  1914. 

ZuEBLiN,  Charles.  .American  municipal  progress.  New 
York,  Macmillan  Co.,  1916.    ;22  p.    illus. 

Channels  of    Tran.sporrarion 

.Amerkan  Instiiiite  of  .ARCHii'Ecrs.  The  relations  of 
railways  to  citv  development.  Washington,  1910.  79  p. 
illus.    plans. 

Papers  read  before  the  Institute. 

Davies,  J.  V.  Provision  tor  future  rapid  transit:  subway, 
elevated  or  open  cut,  and  their  influence  on  the  city 
jilan.  (In  Proceedings  ot  6th  National  Conference  on 
City  Planning,  1914,  p.  194-264.    With  discussion.) 

Droege,  J.  .A.  PVeight  terminals  and  trains,  including  a 
revision  ot  yards  and  terminals.  New  York,  McCiraw- 
Hill  Book  Co.,  1912.   465  p.   illus.   plans. 

, Passenger  terminals  and  trains.    New  York, 

.McGraw-Hill  Book  Co.,  1916.   410  p.    illus.    plans. 

Lewis,  N.  P.  The  automobile  and  the  city  plan.  (In 
Proceedings  of  8th  National  Conference  on  Citv  Plan- 
ning, 1916,  p.  35-56.) 

McCrea,  .a.  E.,  a.  W.  Crawford,  and  C.  I..  Ackies. 
Railroad  improvements,  n.  d.  I24I  p.  illus.  (.American 
Civic  .A.s.sociation.  Dept.  leaflet  no.  6.  Dept.  pamphlet 
no.  3.) 


I 


200 


CITY    PLANNINC;    PRCXiRKSS 


Pralticai.  SiREET  CoNS I'RUCilON :  platiiiinu;  streets  aiiti 
ile.signing  and  constructing  the  details  ot  street  surface, 
suhsurtace  and  supersurtace  structures.  Reprinted 
from  a  series  ot  articles  which  appeared  in  Municipal 
Journal  during  the  year  1916.  New  York,  Municipal 
Journal  and  Engineer,  1916.    24H  p.    illus.    plans. 

Robinson,  C.  M.    City  planning,  with  special  reference 
to  the  planning  ot  streets  and  lots.    Chapters  2-14. 
See  abdve  under  CiEneral. 

The  Watf.r  Terminal  problem.  Papers  hv  G.  K.  Hooker, 
G.  C.  Sikes,  C.  Tomkins,  J.  F.  Hasskarl,  T.  E.  Gib- 
bon, A.  P.  Fleming  and  O.  F.  Lackey.  (In  Proceed- 
ings ot'.^d  National  Conference  on  City  Planning,  191 1, 
p.  i,5i-i8j.) 

Subdivision  ot   Land 

Ford,  James.  Fundamentals  ot  housing  reform.  From 
the  Smithsonian  Report  for  19IJ,  p.  741-754.  Wash- 
ington, 1914.    (Publication  ijii.) 

Discusses  land  subdivision  for  low-cost  housing. 

HuRD,  R.  M.    Principles  ot  city  land  values.    New  York, 

The  Record  and  Guide,  190.?.    159  p.    illus.    plans. 
National  Conference  on  City  Planning.     Best  meth- 
ods of  land  subdivision.    (In  Proceedings  of  7th  Con- 
ference, 1915,  p.  42-106,  247-273.) 

.    City  planning  study.   (In  Proceedings  of  5th 

Conference,  191J,  p.  163-21 1.    plans.) 

Also  published   as  special    supplement   to    the    Quarterh 
Landscape  ."Architecture,  .■\pr.  191  J. 

Nichols,  J.  C.    Real  estate  subdivisions:  the  best  manner 

of  handling  them.    Washington,  1912  and  1916.     k  p. 

(American   Civic  Association.     Dept.   of   city   making. 

Series  II,  no.  5,  Nov.  1912  and  Feb.  1916.) 
Robinson,  C.  M.    City  planning,  with  special  reference  to 

the  planning  of  streets  and  lots.    Chapters  10-14. 
See  above  under  General. 

Unwin,  Raymond.  Nothing  gained  by  overcrowding! 
How  the  garden  city  type  of  development  may  benefit 
both  owner  and  occupier.  London,  P.  S.  King  &  Son, 
for  the  Garden  Cities  and  Town  Planning  Association, 
1 91 2.    24  p.    illus.    plans. 

Yeomans,  a.  B.  City  residential  land  development- 
studies  in  planning;  competitive  plans  for  subdividing  a 
typical  quarter  section  of  land  in  the  outskirts  of  Chi- 
cago. Chicago,  University  of  Chicago  Press,  1916.  138 
p.    illus.    plans. 

Buildina;s  and  Minor  Structures — 
"Civic  Art" 

.Adshead,  S.  D.  The  decoration  and  furnishing  of  the  city, 
nos.  I-XV.  (Town  planning  review,  .Apr.  1911-Oct. 
1914,  V.  2-V.5.    illus.) 

Art  and  Life,  and  the  building  and  decoration  of  cities:  a 
series  of  lectures  by  members  of  the  Arts  and  Crafts 
Exhibition  Society,  delivered  at  the  fifth  exhibition  of 
the  Society  in  1896.  London,  Rivington,  Percival  &  Co., 
1897.    260  p. 

Baxter,  Sylvester.  Art  in  public  works:  aqueducts, 
water-towers,  power-houses,  reservoirs,  bridges.  (Cen- 
tury, Oct.  1902,  V.  64,  p.  912-921.    illus.) 


, .    Art  in  the  street.    (Century,  Mar.  1906, 

n.  s.  V.  49,  p.  697-705.    illus.) 
Brn'ER,  Karl.    Municipal  sculpture.    (Municipal  affairs, 

Mar.  TH98,  V.  2,  p.  73-97.    illus.) 
i'oki),  !<'.  L.    The  grouping  of  public  buildings.    Hartford, 

Conn.,   1904.    85  p.    illus.    plans.     (Publications  of  the 

Municipal   .Art   Society   of  Hartford,    Conn.     Bulletin 

no.  2.) 
New   York.   (City).     Mayor's   Billboard  .Advertising 

Commission.    Report,  Aug.  i,  1913.    151  p.   illus. 
Tyrrell,    H.    G.     Esthetic    treatment    of  city    bridges. 

(.American  city,  Nov.  1913,  v.  g,  p.  404-41 1.    illus.) 

Partly  taken  from  his  book  ".Artistic  Bridge  Design." 

Parks  and  Playgrounds 

American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social  Science. 

Public  recreation  facilities.    Philadelphia,  1910.    266  p. 

plans.    (Annals,  v.  XXXV,  no.  2.) 
.American     Park     and     Outdoor     Art     .Association. 

[.Addresses  and  proceedings.]    1897-1904.    v.  1-7.    illus. 

Burnap,  George.    Parks,  their  design,  equipment  and  use. 
Philadelphia,  J.  B.  Lippincott  Co.,  1916.   328  p.    illus. 
In  spite  of  its  general  title,  refers  primarily  to  small  intown 
parks. 

Eliot,  C.  W.    Charles  Eliot,  landscape  architect.    Boston, 

Houghton  Mifflin  &  Co.,  1902  and  1914.     770  p.   illus. 
plans. 

Chapters  17-19,  21,  23-28,  Jo-32,  34-39,  relate  especially 

to  public  open  spaces. 

Haynes,  Rowland.  How  much  playground  space  does  a 
citv  need?  (American  city.  Mar.  1917,  v.  16,  p.  241-247. 
illus.) 

Hubbard,  H.  V.  The  size  and  distribution  ot  playgrounds 
and  similar  recreation  facilities  in  American  cities.  (In 
Proceedings  ot  6th  National  Conference  on  City  Plan- 
ning, 1914,  p.  265-304.  With  discussion.)  .Also 
reprinted. 

Lee,  Joseph.  Play  and  playgrounds;  reprinted  from  a 
leaflet  of  the  .American  Civic  Association  bv  the  Play- 
ground Association  of  .America.  [New  York,  1908.'] 
23  p.  (Russell  Sage  Foundation.  Dept.  of  Child 
Hygiene.    Pamphlet  no.  19.) 

Mero,  E.  B.  ed.  American  playgrounds;  their  construc- 
tion, equipment,  maintenance  and  utility.  New  York, 
Baker  &  Taylor  Co.,  [1909.']    293  p.    illus.    plans. 

Nolen,  John.  Some  examples  of  the  influence  of  public 
parks  in  increasing  city  land  values.  (Reprinted  from 
his  New  London  Report,  1913,  in  Landscape  archi- 
tecture, July  1913,  V.  3,  p.  166-171;.) 

Olmsted,  F.  L.,  Sr.  Public  parks:  being  two  papers  read 
before  the  -American  Social  Science  .Association  in  1870 
and  1880,  entitled  respectively.  Public  parks  and  the 
enlargement  of  towns,  and,  A  consideration  of  the 
justifying  value  of  a  public  park.  Brookline.  [Privately 
printed.]    1902.    ii4p. 

Olmsted,  F.  L.,  Jr.  and  John  Nolen.  The  normal  require- 
ments ot  American  towns  and  cities  in  respect  to  public 
open  spaces.  (Charities,  July  7,  1906,  v.  16,  p.  41 1-426. 
illus.) 


Cir\    PI.ANNINC;    1M<(X,RKSS 


:oi 


Philadelphia  Allikd  Organizations.  The  existing  and 
proposed  outer  park  systems  ot  American  cities.  Report, 
written  by  A.  \V.  Crawforii  and  K.  M.  Day.  |Harris- 
biirg,  Pa.,  Mt.   Pleasant  Press,   1905.]    61    p.     plans. 

Smtph,  F.  a.  C.  Municipal  recreation  on  inland  water- 
fronts; types  ot  shore  development  and  recreation  pos- 
sible for  cities  possessing  a  river  or  a  lake.  (.American 
city,  Apr.  1915,  v.  12,  p.  291-29S.   illus.) 

Planting 

Ckau  loRU,  A.  W.  The  house  beautitul  and  its  relation  to 
the  city  beautitul.  Window  gardening  bv  H.  D.  Hemen- 
way.  1905.  JO  p.  illus.  (American  Civic  .Association. 
Dept.  pamphlet  no.  1.) 

Fernow,  B.  E.  The  care  ot  trees  in  lawn,  street  and  park, 
with  a  list  ot  trees  and  shrubs  tor  decorative  use.  New 
York,  H.  Holt  &  Co.,  [igio],  191 1.  J92  p.  illus.  (.Ameri- 
can nature  series.) 

F'rancis,  H.  R.  Suggestions  tor  proper  proceihire  in  sys- 
tematic street  tree  planting  tor  towns  and  cities  ot  New 
York.  Syracuse  University,  Mar.  1915.  56  p.  illus. 
(New  York  State  College  ot  Forestrv,  Syracuse  Uni- 
versitv,  Bulletin,  v.  15,  no.  4.) 

Manning,  W.  H.  Suggestions  tor  beautifying  the  home, 
village  and  roadway.  [11  p.|  illus.  (.American  Civic 
Association.    Outdoor  art  dept.    Dept.  pamphlet  no.  5.) 

Massachusei'is  Society  for  Promoting  Agriculturk. 
The  law  ot  the  roadside.  How  to  protect  our  landscape. 
Electric  lines  in  public  ways.  Insect  pests.  Trespass  to 
real  estate.    2d  ed.    [Boston,  G.  H.  Ellis  Co. |    191  i.   95  p. 

Solotaroff,  William.  Shade-trees  in  towns  and  cities; 
their  selection,  planting  and  care  as  applied  to  the  art 
of  street  decoration;  their  diseases  and  remedies;  their 
municipal  control  and  supervision.  New  York,  J. 
Wiley  &  Sons,  191 1.    287  p.    illus. 

Cities   and  Towns  ot   \'arious  T>'pes 

.Atterburv,  Grosvenor.  Model  towns  in  America.  New 
York,  I9!J.  18  p.  illus.  (National  Housing  .Associa- 
tion. Publication  no.  17.)  Reprinted  from  Scribner's 
Magazine,  July,  igij. 

Describes   Forest   Hills   Gardens   ami   other   "garden"   de- 
velopments. 


Biro,  Charles  S.,  ed.  Town  planning  tor  small  com- 
iiuinities.  By  Walpolc  (Mass.)  Town  Planning  Com- 
mittee. New  York,  I").  .Appleton  &  Co.,  1917.  492  p. 
illus.    plans.    (National  Municipal  League  series.) 

Ci.Ai'i',  E.  J.  The  port  of  Boston;  a  study  and  a  solution  of 
the  traffic  and  operating  problems  ot  l^oston,  and  its 
place  in  the  competition  of  the  North  .Atlantic  scaport.s. 
New  Haven,  ^'ale  University  Press,  I916.  402  p.  illus. 
plans. 

In  many  respects,  of  general  application  to  other  .Atlaiilic 
ports. 

Cti.i'in,  E.  (j.  The  garden  city  movement  up-to-ilate, 
1914.  London,  Garden  Cities  and  Town  I'lanning 
.A.s.sociation,  I191.1I.    82  p.    illus.    plans. 

Farweli.,  p.  T.  \'illage  improvement.  New  ^'ork, 
Sturgis  \  Walton  Co.,  191,;.  .i')2  p.  illus.  plans.  (The 
tarmer's  practical  library.) 

llow  ARi),  Ehenezer.  (lardcn  cities  of  tomorrow  (being 
the  second  edition  ot:  To-morrow;  a  peaceful  path  to 
real  reform).  London,  S.  Sonnenschein  Co.,  1902.  167 
p.    illus. 

This  hook  began  the  "Garden  City  movement." 

Noi.EN,  John.  Replanning  small  cities;  six  typical  studies. 
New  ^'ork,  B.  Huebsch,  1912.    218  p.    illus.    plans. 

Olmsted,  h .  I..,  Jr.  \'illage  improvement.  [Boston, 
Mass.l,  1905.  14  p.  (Massachusetts  Civic  League 
leaflets,  no.  5.) 

PEAlioD^■,  R.  .S.  .A  holiday  study  of  cities  ami  ports; 
notes  ot  travel  offered  to  the  Commission  on  the 
Improvement  of  Metropolitan  Boston  by  one  of  its 
members.  Published  by  the  Boston  Society  ot  .Archi- 
tects, 1908.    52  p.-t-,!S  pis.    illus.    plans. 

Pi  ROOM,  C.  B.  The  Garden  City;  a  study  in  the  develop- 
mentota  modern  town.  London, J.  M.nent\'Sons,  191,!. 
,V29  p.    illus.    plans. 

The  town  is  I.etchworth,  Knyland. 

Tavlor,  G.  R.  Satellite  cities;  a  study  of  industrial 
suburbs.  New  York,  D.  .Applcton  and  Co.,  1915.  2JJ 
p.    illus.    plans.    (National  Municipal  League  .series.) 

\VALt;H,  ¥.  A.  Rural  Improxemenr;  the  ]irinciples  ot  ci\ic 
art  applied  to  rural  conditions,  including  village  improve- 
ment anil  the  betterment  of  the  open  country.  New 
York,  Orange  Judti  Co.,  1914.    2(15  p.    illus.    plans. 


Ind 


ex 


Abercrombie,  Patrick,  197. 

Ackerman,  Frederick  I..,  5. 

Acts.    See  Laws. 

Adams,  Thomas,  197. 

Adopting   the  phm,    147,    155,   171,   182. 

See,  also.  Carrying  out  the  plan. 
-Advance     in     City     Planning     in     liyif>, 

194- .  . 

Atlvertising,  Public.  See  Campaign, 
Propaganda,  Publicity,  Starting  \Viirk. 

.Aerial  transportation  terminals,  \'j~. 

.Aldridge,  Henry  R.,  197. 

.Amendments  to  the  comprehensive  plan, 
:22. 

American  City  Bureau,  Exhibition,  8, 
64,  77,  13-,  15-,  i''(i.  See,  also.  Exhi- 
bition. 

.American  Civic  .Association,  32,  64,  70, 
84,  106,  175. 

American  Institute  of  Architects,  10,  13, 
4°.  5°.  54,  60,  61,  62,  67,  69,  76,  84, 
86,  90,  99,  103,  107,  1 17,  139,  140,  141, 
142,  145,  147,  14S,  155,  157,  15S,  if'3, 
169,  171,  181,  191,  192,  195,  196.  See, 
also.  Architects'  participation. 

American  Park  Builders'  .Association, 
85,88,  1 5 J. 

.Anderson,  Peirce,  94. 

.Annexed  territory.  Planning  ol,  151. 

.'\pproaches  to  public  and  semi-public 
structures,  92,  95,  115,  150,  151,  158, 
166,  167,  168,  174,  1-".  See,  aLso, 
Plazas. 

.Architect's  fitness  for  leadership  in  city 
planning,  148,  157. 

.Architect's  participation  in  city  planning, 
7,  8,  13,  19,  20,  21,  24,  25,  37,  39,  47, 
50,  54,  55,  60,  61,  62,  68,  69,  70,  74, 
76,  77,  80,  86,  90,  97,  104,  105,  107, 
117,  127,  128,  130,  136,  139,  140,  142, 
145,  147,  148,  150,  157,  158,  162,  164, 
171,  173,  174,  177,  180,  181,  183,  192. 

.Area  of  cities,  90,  100,  I47. 

Arnold,   Bion  J.,  64,  71,   107,   142,    145, 

153,  ;76. 

.Aronovici,  Carol,  142,  190. 

An,  civic,  municipal,  184,  185.   See,  also. 

Civic  Centers,  Group  plans. 
.Art   commissions,   15,  47,   89,   105,    128, 

130,  141,  162,  185." 

.Art   Societies,    12.     See,   also,   .Art   com- 

rnissions, 
.Arterial  streets,  100,  108,  171,  181.    See, 

also,    Thoroughfares,    Radial    streets. 

Traffic  routes. 
.Assessed  land  values.  Range  of,   29,  63. 

See,   also,   Maps,    Fundamental    data. 

Diagrams. 
.Athletic  fields,  60,  89,  95.   See  Recreation 

system.  Playgrounds,  etc. 
.Auditoriums,  139,  147,   150.    See  Recre- 
ational centers. 
.Avenues.      See    Boulevards,    Parkways, 

Thoroughfares. 

Bartholomew,  Harland,  III,  112,  157. 

Basins,  River,  14,  70,  168. 

Belt  lines,  Railroad,  13,  39,  45,  79,   129, 

131,  158. 


Benefit  assessments,  77,  140,  ito,  i')2, 
182.  See  Financing  public  improve- 
ments. 

Bennett,  E.  H.,  30,  49,  52,  58,  97,  100, 
'24,  143,  "46,  164,  176. 

Betterments,  140,  182. 

Bibliographv ,  198. 

Billboards,  '13,  96. 

Bleckley,  Haralson,  9. 

Bliss  &  l-'aville,  9. 

Blocks,  .Arrangement  ot  interior,  7,   152. 

Block  dimensions,  62,  154. 

Board  ot  Consulting  Engineers,  10. 

Board  of  Survey  (Mass.  .Acts  191.!,  Chap. 

494),  73- 
Boards  of  trade  in  city  planning  move- 
ment, 8,  29,  43,  68,  77,  112,   1  1 3,  T34, 

142,  "45.  155,  >89- 

Bond  I.ssues  tor  City  Planning  and  Im- 
provement, 12,  23,  45,  97,  117,  118, 
164,  174. 

Boulevards,  11,  27,  49,  50,  60,  64,  82, 
89,  95,  '07,  118,  128,  131,  136,  139, 
158,  166,  172.  See,  also,  Parkways, 
Park  systems. 

Bridges  and  approaches,  22,  31,  35,  40, 
43,  50,  5 1 ,  5 2,  58,  6 1 ,  80,  1 02,  1  5 1 ,  1 5 2, 
153,  169,  185. 

Brunner,  .Arnold  \V.,  6,    13,  39,  49,  69, 

71,  178, 

Building  Code,  60,  77,  78,  88,  96,  128, 
153,  172,  173,  175,  180.   ^ 

Building  groups,  3;^.  See  Groups,  Build- 
ing; Civic  centers. 

Building  huvs.    See  Building  codes. 

Building  lines,  24,  94,  133,  155,  161,  168, 
174,  177,  182,  192.  See,  also.  Set- 
backs. 

Bureau  of  Community  Service,  148. 

Burned  districts,  Replanning,  13,  76,  133, 
162,  164. 

Burnham,  Daniel  H.,  12,  32,  39,  94,  164, 
176,  184. 

Business  squares,  179.  See,  also,  Scpiares, 
Traffic  Squares,  etc. 

Business  streets  in  general.  .See  'I'hor- 
oughfares. 

By-pass  roads,  119,  190. 

Campaigns,  City  planning,  i,  3,  18,  34, 
45,  5q,  64,  68,  77,  90,  132,  145,  146, 
153,  154,  174,  174,  180.  .See,  also. 
Publicity,  Projiaganda,  etc. 

Canada,  City  Planning  in,  194,  i</>. 

Canals,  canal  terminals,  and  basins,  37, 
116,  126,  145,  153,  162,  176,  197. 

Capitols  and  capitol  grounds,  44,  49,  9-, 
149,  150,  158,  1-9,  183. 

Carrere,  John  .\I.,  13,  39,  ''9. 

Carrcre  Cv  Hastings,  11,  73. 

Carrying  out  the  city  plan,  1 1 1,  14'',  182, 
185.    See,  also,  .Adopting  the  plan. 

Centers,  City,  168.  See,  also,  Traffic 
squares. 

Chambers  of  commerce  in  city  planning, 
?,  6,  8,  10,  14,  15,  18,  23,  24,  25,  28, 
29,  37,  39,  40,  43,  45,  47,  5 2,  55,  58, 
60,  63,  64,  67,  70,  73,  77,  78,  79,  81, 
86,  87,  88,  89,  9>,  93,  96,   102,   105, 

(203) 


112,  115,  117,  128,  134,  135,  136,  142, 
145,  148,  150,  H3,  154,  156,  161,  163, 
169,  172,  174,  175,  177,  179,  180,  181, 
188,  191,  192,  193. 
Charges  for  city  planning  by  experts, 
2_ 

Charter  amendments  to  provide  lor 
city  planning  or  city  planning  com- 
missions, 39,  64,  72,  81,  87,  112,  115, 
120,  127,  I4(>,  169,  173,  176,  178. 

Cheney,  Charles  H.,  67,  130,  166. 

Circumferential  thoroughtares,  33,  49, 
89,  i68.  .See,  also.  Inner  ring  street  or 
belt  boulevard;  also,  Outer  ring  street. 

Cities  about  to  employ  experts.  Sec 
Initiatory  work  in  comprehensive  city 
planning. 

Citizens'  city  planning  committee,  i,  2, 
93,  152,  171.  See,  also,  Chambers  ot 
commerce.  City  planning  associations, 
unofficial  planning  organizations. 

City  clubs  and  City  Planning,  16,  84, 
99,  I  20,  1  28,  ito,  181. 

City  engineers  and  city  planning,  11,  12, 
'7,  47,  55,  96,  152. 

City  gates,  (>,  74,  102,  168,  184,  T90,  191. 
See  Bridges,  Railroad  'rerminals, 
Thoroughfares. 

City  halls,  146,  150,  187.  See,  also.  Civic 
centers. 

City  planners.  Work  ot,  in  .America.  .See 
Bennett,  I'..  H.;  Brunner,  .Arnold  \V.; 
Burnham,  Daniel  H.;  Carrere,  John 
M.;  Chenev,  C.  H.;  Comev,  .A.  C; 
Dunn,  \V.  H.;  Ellicott,  A.;  Ellicott,  J.; 
Foril,  Geo.  B.;  Gilbert,  Cass;  Goodrich, 
E.  P.;  Griffin,  Walter  B.;  Hegeman, 
Werner;  Kelsey,  .Albert;  Kelscy,  Har- 
lan P.;  Kessler,  Geo.  E.;  Koester, 
F'rank;  I. 'Enfant,  Major  Peter;  Lea- 
vitt,  C.  W.;  Manning,  Warren  H.; 
Nolcn,  John;  Olmsted,  Frederick  Law; 
Parsons,  Wm.  E.;  Robinson,  Charles 
Nlulford;  Shurtlett',  .Arthur  .A. 

City  planning  as,sociations,  6,  22,  64,  90, 
134,  147,  156,  166,  193,  197. 

City  planning  commissions,  i,  5,  7,  8, 
10,  II,  13,  14,  16,  17,  21,  24,  28,  29, 
32,  33,  31,  38,  43,  47,  56,  59,  61,  62, 
63,  64,  67,  68,  71,  72,  73,  74,  78,  79, 
87,  88,  90,  96,  99,  "06,  115,  119,  123, 
1:7,  '31,  '45,  '48,  '51,  153,  "55,  156, 
163,  168,  171,  172,  174,  176,  178,  179, 
188,  184. 

City  planning  ilepartments,  7. 

City  planning.  Field,  .scope,  Purpose, 
Utility,  I,  70,  78,  142. 

City  planning  movement,  I,  43,  13-, 
162,  175,  180.  .See,  also,  Campaign, 
Propaganda,  Publicity. 

Civic  centers,  9,  13,  18,  23,  26,  30,  39, 
43,  45,  48,  50,  58,  61,  62,  65,  69,  7",  75, 
80,  82,  89,  94,  98,  101,  106,  112,  113, 
128,  133,  143,  146,  156,  162,  164,  171, 
■78,179,  182,  190.  See,  alsio,  Groups, 
Buildings. 

Civic  circuit,  24.  See,  also.  Traffic  cir- 
cuit. 

Civic  commissions,  13. 


204 


INDEX 


Civic  improvement  leagues,  60,  65,  150, 
is2,  idS,  i~4,  179.  See,  also,  I'nofficial 
plannint;  organizations,  City  planning 
associations,  etc. 

Civic  priile.  Appeal  to,  152. 

Clearing  Yards,  129.  See  Transfer  yards, 
Coortlination  of  facilities.  Terminals, 
etc. 

Collection  and  presentation  of  data.  See 
Funilaniental  ilata.  Maps. 

Colleges,  Study  and  teaching  of  city 
planning  in,  196,  197. 

Comey,  Arthur  C,  16,  24,  29,  52,  63,  76, 
88,  160,  189. 

Commercial  Clubs  (in  city  planning), 
JO,  3J,  41,49,  54,  59,69,  104,  107,  128, 
150,  158,  162,  169. 

Commercial  utilization  of  waterfronts. 
See  Waterfronts,  Commercial;  River- 
front improvements  tor  commercial 
purposes. 

Committee  organization,  i. 

Community    centers,    64,    99,    105,    107, 

115,  135,  153,  164,  171,  '72,  17.5- 
Composition   ot   Planning   Commissions, 

39,  179-  .  . 

Comprehensive    planning    vs.    piecemeal 

work,    151,    183.     See,    also.    Need   ot 

city  planning. 
Comprehensive   Plans,  3,  9,   15,   21,  24, 

25,  47.  53.  61,  94.  96,   100,   107,   116, 

140,  146,  161,  164,   177,   182,   183,  194- 

See,  also.  Preliminary  plans. 
Conduits,    13,  62,   6j.     See,  also.   Flood 

Protection. 
Conferences,  City  planning,  i,  \Mi.    See, 

also,  Interurban  conferences. 
Congestion  of  traffic,  179,  190.    See,  also. 

Traffic  squares.  Traffic  census,  etc. 
Consultation  of  experts,  2. 
Control  of  land  subdivision,   13,  42,  ^2, 

73,97,99,  111,  118,  137,  175,  183,  192. 
Conventions,   City   planning.     See   Con- 
ferences. 
Cooperation  of  experts,  2,  43. 
Coordination  of  facilities,  loi,  125,   140, 

162,    177.     See,    also.    Joint    terminal 

facilities;  Union  Stations;  Waterfront, 

Commercial;  etc. 
Cost  of  land,  90. 
County  planning,  74,  79,    105,   109,  118, 

196. 
Courses  of  study  in  city  planning.    See 

Colleges. 
Cram,  Ralph  .^dams,  21,  76. 
Crawford,  Andrew  Wright,  137,  I4I,  196. 
Crossings,  Railroad   (F.limination    of,    at 

Grade).    See  Grade  crossings. 
Cross-,section,  Subdivision  ot  Street   41, 

140,  167. 
Culpin,  Ewart  G.,  197. 

Data,  Collection  and  presentation.  See 
Fundamental  data.  Maps,  diagrams. 

Day,  Frank  Miles,  53,  142. 

Defacements  ot  waterfronts,  113.  See, 
also,  Rivertront  improvements. 

de  Forest,  .Ailing  .S.,  5. 

Density  of  population   in  cities,  87,  90, 

Detailed  studies,  3. 

Diagonal  and  gridiron  plat,  92,  102,  137, 

.139- 

Diagonal  thoroughfares,  92,  137,  174. 
See,  also,  Thoroughfares,  Boulevards. 

Diagrarris,  57,  132.  See,  also.  Funda- 
mental Data,  Maps. 


Differentiation  between  streets,  140. 
Dilapidated   dwellings,   Removal   of,   62, 

64,  97,  1 1.3,  192. 
Distribution  of  population,  16, 63,87,  132. 
Districting,  9,  12,  21,  55,  57,  96,  99,  120, 

124.     See  Zoning,  Zoning  ordinances. 
Double-deck  streets,  ^^<,,  52. 
Downing,  .Amlrew  Jackson,  1 13. 
Drainage,  19,  1  \<i. 
Draws.    .See  Bridges. 
Drill-grounds,  197. 
Dunn,  W.  H.,  84,  130,  133. 

Economic  conditions,  20,  128,  1^57. 
Educational  building  groups,  16,  40,  4;;, 

53,61,76,80,89,92,93,166. 
Education   of  public   (in   regard   to  city 

planning),  1,3,36,44,49,  59,68,   132, 

H2,    1^4,    156.    See,    also.   Campaign, 

Publicity,  Newspapers. 
Elastic  principle  of   street  construction, 

1 40. 
E.lectrification  of  railroads,  10,  21, 
F.llicott,  .Andrew,  62. 
F^llicott,  Joseph,  26. 
Embankments    (Shore),    139,    151.     See, 

also.    Riverfront    Improvements    and 

Reservations. 
F.ngland,  City  Planning  in,  194. 
Entrances,  City,  6,  151. 
Excessive  Street  Width,  41. 
Exhibitions,    City    Planning,  8,  65,    77, 

132,  134,  152,  166,  197. 
Expenditures  for  city  planning,  2. 
Experts,    Cities    about     to    employ    or 

likely  to  employ.    See  Initiatory  work 

in  comprehensive  city  planning. 
Experts — 

Consulting  with,  2. 
Work  of,  2. 

Cooperation  of,  2,  6,  12,  39,  43,  44, 
49,  56,  69,  78,  9(^,  98,  108,  114,  131, 
139.  142,.  153,  184. 
Expo.sition  building  groups,  156,  162,  16-!, 

164. 

Factories,  63. 

Failure  to  plan  comprehensively.  Results 

of,  83,  119,  157,  160,  183. 
Fairgrounds  and  buildings,  10,  91. 
Fay,  SpofFord  &  Thorndike,  63. 
Federal  agencies  for  city  planning.    See 

National  Bureau  of  City  Planning. 
Filling  of  low  or  submerged  areas,  31,41, 

63,''9i,  94,  99,  1.17,  '77,  186,  188. 
Financing  public  improvements  and  city 

planning,  11,31,  38,  47,  60,  64,  77,  82, 

89,  128,  137,  140,  156,  182. 
Fire-protection,  13,  133. 
Floating  wharf,  105. 

Floods,  Protection  from,  43,  62,  70,  143. 
Foci,  Determining  location  ot  main  thor- 
oughfares, 4  I. 
Ford,  Geo.  B.,  56,  78,  96,  107,  120,  127, 

131,  196. 
Ford,  James,  29,  108. 
Forehanded  planning,  45,  52. 
Forest  reservations,  3;},  41,  49,  182. 
Fox,  John  P.,  120,  151. 
France,  City  planning  in,  194. 
Franchise,  i  s3. 
Freeman,  John  R.,  142. 
Freight  terminals,  ji^,  45,  80,   103,   112, 

125,  126,  130,  146,  182. 
Fuertes,  James  H.,  70. 
Fundamental   data,    16,   29,   54,   57,   63, 

76,  78,  96,  115,  132,  174. 


Garden  cities,  106,  116,  197.  See,  also, 
Model  housing.  Improved  dwellings, 
Industrial  housing. 

Garden  suburbs.  See,  also,  Model  hous- 
ing, Improved  dwellings.  Garden  vil- 
^  lages. 

Garden  villages,  106,  134,  135,  153,  171, 
iQi.    .See,  also.  Garden  cities. 

Gates,  City.    .See  City  entrance. 

Cierman\",  Town  planning  in,  197. 

Getting  Started.  See  Starting  work. 
Initiatory  work,  Campaign,  Publicity. 

Gilbert,  Cass,  52,  114,  158. 

Goodrich,  E.  P.,  40,  56,  6r,  78,  96,  107, 

1-5,  ^l'- 
Governmental  cities,  43,  49,  92,  94,  149, 

150,  154,  '58,  174,  179,  183. 
Grades,  Viaducts  to  avoid  streets  cros.s- 

ing  at.    See  Grade  crossings. 
Grade  crossings,  8,  18,  38,  41,  43,  45,  56, 

62,  64,  67,  69,  78,  91,  99,  104,  107,  127, 

128,  129,  131,  134,  136,  140,  151,  153, 

155,  156,  161,  169,  173,  176,  177,  181, 

182,  191,  193. 
Gradients  of  streets,  84,   131,   133,   189. 
Gridiron  type  of  plat,  41,  62,  67,  69,  79, 

92,  97,  121,  136,  140,  151. 
Griffin,  Walter  Burley,  106. 
Groups,  Building,  33,  39,  4-,  95,  i  '7,  13°, 

143,  146,  156,  167,  174,  185,  189.    See 

also.  Civic  centers. 

Harbors,  13,  33,  62,  89,  90,  91,  109,  113, 

117,  127,  129,  153,  163,  171,  177-  See, 
also.  Ports,  Terminals,  Coordination 
of  Terminal  Facilities. 

Hazen,  -Allen,  143. 

Health  resorts.    See  Resorts. 

Hegeman,  Werner,  15,  70,  99,   128,  154. 

Height  of  buildings.  Control  of,   13,  21, 

103,  107,  120,  174,  186. 
High-cost  residential  districts,  13,  31,  62, 

84,  1 66,  179,  180. 
Highway  bridges.    See  Bridges. 
HiHs,  Removal  of,  91,  143,  169,  188. 
Historical  Plans,   19,   26,  42,  52,  62,  79, 

87,92,97,  1 14,  I -I,  '3^1,  151,  166,  177, 

183. 
Homestead   Commission   ot    Massachus- 

setts,  91,  196. 
Hornbostel,  Henry,  79,  189. 
Housing  code,  16,32,  62,69,  io3,  i34,  162. 
Housing  laws,  77,  78,  142,  152,  173,  182, 

190. 
Housing  organizations,  7,  28,  29,  40,  55, 

74,77,86,89,93,99,  102,113,  118,  128, 

134,  142,  145,  152,  166,  173,  175,  181 
Housing  problem,  5,  7,  22,  28,  37,  40,  56, 

58,  60,  62,  64,  74,  85,  88,  89,  91,  102, 

107,  lo8,  136,  142,  148,  152,  172,  186. 
190,  192.  See  Improved  housing.  Low- 
cost  residential  districts. 

Housing  Surveys,  27,  63,  67,  85,  91,  135, 
152,  1-4,  1  S6, 

Ihlder,  John,  64,  68,  86,  134,  142,  174. 
Improved  housing,  5,  22,  62,  85,  104,  107, 

118,  128,  142,  189,  193. 
Individuality  of  cities.   Preservation   ot, 

21,  75- 

Industrial  areas  (Waterfronts),  14,46,67, 
172.  See,  also.  Coordination  of  Facili- 
ties, Terminals,  Industrial  districts. 

Industrial  districts,  9,  15,  66,  79,  90,  103, 

108,  125,  142,  158. 

Industrial  housing,  171,  172,  186,  191, 
194,  197. 


INDEX 


20  <; 


Imlustrial  sulnirlis,  iS,  55,  6;,  114.  Sec, 
also,  Low -cost  resiiicntial  districts, 
Improved  housing,  etc. 

Initiatory  work  in  comprehensive  city 
planning,  cities  getting  uniler  way,  18, 
4.^,  47,  "55.  5«.  59,  69,  87,  go,  97;  117, 
i.U,  lA  150.  '55>  '''2,  17".  175.  '80, 
iS[,  192. 

Inner  ring  street  or  hclt  lioulevanl,  'ic;, 
1,^0,  I  56. 

Institutes  of  town  phmning,  197. 

Instruction.  .See  Study  and  teaching, 
Colleges. 

Intercepting  sewer,  70,  158.  See,  also. 
Riverfront  Improvements  for  Recre- 
ational purposes. 

Interlocking  of  plans  tor  pulilic  improve- 
ments, 14.1,  151.  See,  also,  Compre- 
hensive plans. 

International  town  planning  associations. 

Intersection  ot  lines  ot  traffic,   108,   i;;!. 

Interurban  conference  on  city  planning, 
111,  I  28,  195. 

Interurban  highways,  111,  128.  See, 
also.  Radial  thoroughfares,  Thor- 
oughfare systems. 

Interurban  street-railways,  .18,  94. 

Interurban  trolley  terminals,  j8,  40,  78, 
109,  176,  179. 

Island  reservations,  54,  14O. 

Joint  Terminal  Facilities,  79,  87,  107, 
156.  See,  also.  Terminals,  Union  sta- 
tions, Railroads,  Joint  Facilities,  Co- 
ordination of  Facilities. 

Journal  of  the  .American  Institute  of 
.Architects,  5J,  166,  191. 

Junctions,  Street.  See  Intersections  of 
.Streets. 

Kelsey,  .Albert,  44,  142. 

Kelsey,  Harlan  P.,  116,  161. 

Kelsey  &  Guild,  42,  69. 

Kessler,  Geo  E.,  .37,  45,  49,  58,  66,  76, 

77,  81,  97,  172,  176,  177- 
Killam,  Charles  VV.,  88. 
Kimball,  Theodora,  2. 
Koester,  Frank,  8. 

Lakeshore   reservations,   33,   67,  68,   89, 

92,  98,  191. 
Land  subdivision,  62,  70,  73,  88,  91,  106, 
152,  154,  169,  174,  175.  See,  also.  Con- 
trol of  land  subdivision. 
Lane,  F.  Van  Z.,  15,  61,  79. 
Large    vs.    small    city.    Success    city    in 

planning,  194. 
Laws,     Cities     which     have     appointed 
planning     commissions     under     State 
Laws — 

California,  i,  16,  67,  155,  164. 
Massachusetts     (Chap.     494,     .Acts 
191.-!),  16,  21,  24,  28,  32,  37,  62,  68, 
7.3,  74,  87,  94,  97,  II9,  U.?,   if'i, 
172,  174,  177,  >82,  190. 

(Chap.  327,  Acts   1913),  63. 

Maryland  (Chap.  114),  13. 

New  Jersey  (Chap.  170,  Laws  1913), 
11,14,29,56. 

(Chap.  71,  Laws   1911),  78, 

107. 

Nebraska  (.Acts  of  191 5),  131. 
New   York   (2d   class   cities.   Chap. 
699,  Laws  of  1913),  17,  59,   106, 

127,153- 
Ohio  (Laws  191 5),  29,  38,  96. 


Laws,   Pennsylvania    (third-class   cities, 
,.I91,?),'7,  8,61,71,73,  79,  "51.  '88. 
Wisconsin  (Chap.  486,  .Acts  of  191 1 1, 
99. 
Lay,  Charles  Downing,  6. 
Leadership,  1. 

Leagues  ot  municipalities,  196. 
Legal  aspects,  61,  62. 
Legislation,  194. 
L'F.ntant,    His   work    and    Influi-nd-,    ;:, 

62,  93,  I  83. 
Levees,  46,  153,  190. 
Lighting  fixtures  and  systems,  8,  29,  64, 

>  74,  ■  79. 
Local  streets,  1  ^1. 
Long,  Henry  C,  61. 
I.orii,  .Austin  \V.,  44. 
Lot,  Depth,  I  52,  1 54. 
Low-cost   residential  ilistricts,  <,  8;,  104, 

',U,  i.i''- 

MacMonnies,  Frederick,  49,  10;. 

Malls,  43,  6,-,  ii;8,  184,  18!;. 

Mann  &  McNei'lle,  5,  153." 

.Manning,  Warren  H.,  13,  18,70,71,-4. 

Manufacturing  ilistricts.  See  Inilustrial 
districts. 

Maps,  16,  29,  54,  57,  63,  127,  132,  1-1, 
176.  See,  also,  F'undamental  data, 
diagrams. 

Marginal  ways,  140.  See,  also.  Water- 
front, Commercial. 

Marine  parks.   .See  Shore  Reservations. 

Marine  terminal,  14,  I2s.  See,  also. 
Coordination  of  facilities.  Joint  termi- 
nal facilities. 

Markets,  21,  40,  ^8,  64,  67,  94,  107,  12',, 

■5.3,  I9.i- 
McCrary,  Irvin  J.,  1  ;o. 
McFarlantl,  J.  Horace,  70. 
Medium-cost  multiple  houses  in  block,  88. 
Metropolitan   park  systems,  29,  91,  97, 

1 19,  136,  14S. 
Metropolitan  planning,  2,  19,  21,  29,  58, 

88,   100,   HI,   128,    136,   142,   143,    148, 

195- 

Minor  Streets,  152. 

Model  housing,  5,  18,  38,  40,  65,  134,. '.53, 
171,  175,  186.  See,  al.so.  Garden  cities. 
Garden  suburbs.  Improved  housing, 
etc. 

Modification  of  comprehensive  plan,  3. 

Monev  for  city  planning  investigations, 
2,  7,  15,  17, '2',  24,  29,  33,  38,  61,  75, 
88,  90,  96,  99,  100,  105,  112,  114,  120, 
14^,  146,  150,  151,  153,  155,  157,  if''', 
171,  172,  177,  184,  188,  190,  191. 

■Monuments,  185. 

Moore,  Charles,  54,  185. 

Mountain  parks,  49. 

Municipal  ownership  or  control  of  public 
utilities,  1  2?. 

National   bureau   of  city   planning,    196, 

197. 
National  city  planning  conference,  1,  40, 

45,  62,  196. 
National   Housing  .A.ssociation,   28,    134, 

142,  181. 
Natural  features,  .Special  Reservation  of 

Places  containing,  44,  75,  152,  163,  168, 

1-2. 
Need  of  city  planning  in  specific  cities, 

26,  28,  43,'  4?,  56,  68',  72,  76,  83,  86,  89, 

90,91,92,  "2,  113,  "4,  120,  125,  127, 

128,  136,  145,  146,  161,  162,  181,  190, 

191. 


NcighlK)rhooil  Centers,  44,  .s.S,  12'.,  1  (4, 

156. 
Nei({hborh<)oil  parks,  60,  76,  98,  131. 
Newspapers  and  city  planning,  10,  43,  45, 

147,  148,  154. 
New  towns,  8,  67,  106,  116,  171. 
Nolcn,  John,  5,  24,  31,  55,  61,  62,  64,  «;, 

86,  88,  92,  98,  105,  117,  134,  151,  152, 

i>5,  160,  163,  167,  168,  182,  186. 

Olmsted  Brothers,  12,  47,  109,  I48,  169, 
'73, '91. 

Olmsted,  Frederick  Law,  Jr.,  13,  22,  24, 
39,  49,  52,  98,  ".3,  "4,  "8,  142,  '43, 
'53,  '''3,  174,  18',  184. 

Olmsted,  Frederick  Law,  Sr.,  1 1 8,  1  22, 1  29. 

Ordinances,  Cities  which  have  or  have 
had  jilanning  commissions  appointed 
under  ordinance  without  statutory  pro- 
vision therefor,  10,  24,  :i3,  37,  43,  47, 
62,  68,  88,  90,  97,  99,  107,  1 14,  118, 
123,  127,  142,  143,  145,  148,  156,  162, 
163,  166,  168,  171,  179. 

Organization  for  city  planning  work,  120. 

Outer  ring  street  or  belt  boulevard,  69, 
130,  I  ?6,  161,  186,  192. 

Outlooks,  75,  150,  186. 

Overheaii  wires  eliminated,  8. 

Parallel  streets,  65. 

Park  Commissions,  i8,  38,  43,  44,  45,  62, 
66,  76,  77,  82,  93,  99,  112,  130,  135, 
156,  167,  169,  173,  176,  182,  186,  188. 

Park  departments,  128,  135. 

Parked  streets,  41,  to,  151,  152. 

Parks,  8,  11,  14,  17,  22,  60,  64,  66,  69,  73, 
76,  80,  81,  89,  90,  104,  107,  112,  I2Q, 
136,  145,  150,  152,  158,  162,  167,  171, 
172,  173,  177,  179,  '82,  188,  192,  193- 

Park  Service — \Vhat  ii  is,  42,  44,47,  130, 
172,  190. 

Parks,  Neighborhood.  See  Neighborhood 
parks. 

Park  systems,  9,  10,  19,  27,  31,  32,  38, 
44,  45,  47,  49,  5',  S3,  58,  62,  66,  70,  77, 
86,  88,  92,  96,  97,  101,  117,  123,  130, 
'3',  '37,  '48,  'f'O,  '68,  169,  172,  176, 
181,  186,  189,  191. 

Parks,  Water.  See,  also.  Shore  reserva- 
tions. Riverfront  improvements  for 
recreation. 

Parkways,  32,  38,  49,  69,  74,  90,  98,  1 10, 
113,  133,  140,  151,  156,  186. 

Parsons,  Win.  F..,  12,  94,  168. 

Passenger  terminals,  8,  26,  33,  39,  87,  91, 
loi,  105,  107,  110,  113,  115,  126,  129, 
146,  168,  1 74,. '77,  '8'.,  '84,  '86,  193. 
.See,  also,  L'nion  stations.  Coordina- 
tion of  facilities,  etc. 

Pavement  and  paving,  22,  70,  78,  96,  131, 
155,  174,  179. 

Penn,  William,  151. 

Periodicals,  1,  197. 

Perkins,  Dwight  H.,  62,  86. 

Piers,  etc.,  13,  .?5,  62,  140,  141. 

Platting  new  districts,  62,  70,  128,  151. 
See,  also.  Control  of  land  subdivision. 

Playground  and  Recreation  .Association 
of  .America,  15,  24,  66,  78,  87,  172. 

Playground  survey,  16,  24,  66,  172. 

Playgrounds,  10,  15,  17,  38,  45,  66,  69, 
78^91,  98,  99,  104,  110,  115,  128,  172, 
171;,  182,  192. 

Plazas,  6,  9,  82,  111,  lu,  140,  151,  156, 
184,  192. 

Pleasure  traffic  streets.  .See  Boulevards, 
Parkways. 


:o6 


INDEX 


Poles   and    wires   (Street   turninire),   92, 

174- 
PulUition  ot  streams,  6.?,  157. 
Population — 

Cities  under  15,000: 

Alton,  H;  Atascadero,  8;  Baguio,  II; 
Beverly,  16;  Boulder,  22;  Burlington, 
Vt.,  27;  Fmnietsburg,  61 ;  Gloucester, 
68,  Greenville,  6ij;  Greensboro,  70; 
Hot  Springs,  76;  Keokuk,  86; 
Mansfield,  y6;  Mossmain,  lo6;  New 
Holland,  116;  New  London,  117; 
Paris,  Tex.,  ij,?;  Raleigh,  150; 
Rome,  Kl;  Walpole,  182;  Weston, 
187. 

Cities  25,000  to  50,000: 

Alameda,  5;  Auburn,  11;  Austin,  11; 
Bangor,  1,5;  Battle  Creek,  14;  Bay 
City, 14;  Beaumont,  i  5;  Bloomington, 
i(j;  Brookline,  24;  Butler,  28;  Cedar 
Rapids,30;  Charlotte,;,! ;  Chelsea, 32; 
Chicopee,  37;  Clinton,  41;  Colorado 
Springs,  41 ;  Council  Bluffs,  44; 
Davenport,  46;  Decatur,  47;  Dur- 
ham, 55;  Kast  Orange,  56;  Elgin,  58; 
Elmira,  59;  Evanston,  62;  Everett, 
62;  Fitchburg,  63;  Fort  Smith,  64; 
Fresno,  67;  Green  Bay,  69;  Hamil- 
ton, 70;  Hazelton,  73;  Jackson,  78; 
Jamestown,  78;  Joplin,  80;  Kalama- 
zoo, 80;  Kenosha,  85;  Kingston,  86; 
Knoxville,  86;  LaCrosse,  86;  Lex- 
ington, 88;  Lima,  88;  Lincoln,  88; 
Lorain,  89;  Lynchburg,  91;  Macon, 
91;  Madison,  92;  Medtord,  97; 
Moline,  104;  Montclair,  105;  Mont- 
gomery, 105;  Mt.  Vernon,  io6; 
Muskegon,  107;  Muskogee,  107; 
New  Brunswick,  1 1  2;Newburgh,  113; 
Newport,  118;  New  Rochelle,  11 8; 
Newton,  119;  Niagara  Falls,  127; 
Norristown,  128;  Norwich,  128; 
Ogden,  130;  Pasadena,  134;  Perth 
Amboy,  136;  Pittsfield,  145;  Ports- 
mouth, O.,  148;  Poughkeepsie,  148; 
Quincy,  111.,  150;  Roanoke,  152; 
Rock  Island,  153;  San  Jose,  155; 
Salem,  161;  Sheboygan,  171;  Shenan- 
doah, 171;  Shreveport,  171;  Stam- 
ford, 175;  Stockton,  175;  Taunton, 
177;  Topeka,  179;  Tulsa,  181;  Walla 
Walla,  182;  Waltham,  182;  Water- 
loo, 187;  Wheeling,  188;  Woon- 
socket,  189;  Zanesville,  193. 

Cities  50,000  to  100,000: 

.Akron,  5;  -Allentown,  7;  Altoona,  8; 
Bayonne,  14;  Berkeley,  15;  Bing- 
hamton,  17;  Brockton,  24;  Canton, 
29;  Chattanooga,  31;  Duluth,  54; 
East  St.  Louis,  58;  Elizabeth,  58; 
El  P.aso,  60;  Erie,  61;  Evansville,  62; 
Flint,  64;  Fort  Wayne,  64;  Harris- 
burg,  70;  Hoboken,  73;  Holyoke, 
74;  Honolulu,  74;  Jacksonville,  '"S; 
Johnstown,  79;  Lancaster,  86;  Little 
Rock,  88;  Mobile,  i04;New  Britain, 
112;  Norfolk,  128;  Oklahoma  City, 
130;  Passaic,  134;  Pawtucket,  135; 
Peoria,  136;  Portland,  Me.,  145; 
Pueblo,  150;  Rockford,  153;  Sacra- 
mento, J  53;  Saginaw,  155;  St. 
Joseph,  155;  San  Diego,  163;  Sa- 
vannah, i66;  Schenectady,  187; 
Sioux  City,  172;  Somerville,  172; 
South  Bend,  172;  Springfield,  111., 
174;  Springfield,  O.,  175;  Terre 
Haute,  177;  Troy,  180;  Utica,  181; 


W;iterbur>',    186;    Wilmington,    188; 
Vonkers,  191;  York,  192. 
Cities  100,000  to  200,000: 

.Atlanta,  9;  .Atlantic  City,  11; 
Birmingham,  17;  Bridgeport,  22; 
Cambridge,  28;  Camtlen,  29;  Dallas, 
45;  Dayton,  47;  Des  IVloines,  49; 
Fall  River,  63;  Fort  Worth,  66; 
Grand  Rapids,  68;  Hartford,  72; 
Houston,  76;  Lawrence,  87;  Lowell, 
90;  Lynn,  91;  Memphis,  97;  New- 
Bedford,  112;  New  Haven,  114; 
Oakland,  i28;Omaha,  131;  Paterson, 
135;  Reading,  151;  Richmond,  152; 
Salt  Lake  City,  162;  San  .Antonio, 
162;  Spokane,  173;  Springfield, 
Mass.,  174;  Syracuse,  175;  Tacoma, 
176;  Toledo,  178;  Worcester,  190; 
Youngstown,  192. 
Cities  200,000  and  over; 

Baltimore,  12;  Boston,  19;  Bufl^alo, 
25;  Chic:igo,  32;  Cincinnati,  37; 
Cleveland,  38;  Columbus,  43;  Den- 
ver, 47;  Detroit,  52;  Indianapolis, 
77;  Jersey  City,  78;  Kansas  City, 
81;  Los  .Angeles,  89;  Louisville,  89; 
Manila,  94;  Milwaukee,  97;  Minne- 
apolis, 100;  Newark,  107;  New 
Orleans,  1 17;  New  York,  120;  Phila- 
delphia, 136;  Pittsburgh,  142;  Port- 
land, Ore.,  146;  Providence,  148; 
Rochester,  152;  St.  Louis,  156;  St. 
Paul,  158;  San  Francisco,  164; 
.Seattle,  169;  Washington,  1S3. 

Port  directors,  104,  171. 

Port  regulation,  1 17. 

Ports,  15,  76,  90,  104,  109,  117,  125,  171, 
'75i  '77'  ^^^>  also.  Harbors,  Term- 
inals, Coordination  ot  facilities.  Joint 
terminal  facilities. 

Post,  Geo.  B.  ix  Sons,  76,  93,  109. 

Powers,  .Authority,  City  Planning  Bodies, 

2,  62,  122,  148,  160,  162,  173,  178.  See, 
also,  Laws,  Ordinances. 

Pray,  James  Sturgis,  29,  78,  196. 
Preliminary  City  Plans,  6,  41,  43,  45,  57, 

59,62,89,  114,  118,  133,  150,  160,  168. 

See,  also,  Comprehensive  plans. 
Preservation  of   natural   landscape.     See 

Natural  landscape.  Preservation  of. 
Private  financial  support  for  city  planning 

investigation,  62,    153,   1 54,    156,    157, 

160.   See,  also.  Money  for  city  planning. 
Procedure,  73,  78,  108,  in,  115,  120,  142, 

15",  '54,  175- 

Propaganda,  86,  87,  90,  91,  96,  97,  100, 
107,  1 14,  146,  150,  151,  153,  180. 

Protection,  Fire.    See  Fire-protection. 

Protection  from  floods.  See  Flood  pro- 
tection. 

Public  Gardens,  149,  150,  158. 

Publicity     (City    planning    movement!, 

3,  35,  36,  107,  108,  121,  124,  136,  146, 
148,  155,  179,  180.  See,  also.  Cam- 
paign, Newspapers,  Propaganda,  Pub- 
lic support. 

Public  support  and  its  effect  on  city 
planning.  3,  14,  34,  43,  55,  71,  86,  108, 
121,  154,  174,  179,  180. 

Pumping  to  drain  lands,  1 16. 

Quays,  wharves,  etc.,  6,  7,  109.  See, 
also.  Piers,  Marine  terminals,  etc. 

Radial  thoroughfares,  'i^y,  95,  129,  131, 
1 43,  1 46,  168,  189.  See,  also.  Thor- 
oughfare system. 


Railroad  bridges  and  tunnels,  9,  13,  21. 

Railroads,   Joint    facilities,   41,    55,    107, 
176,    187.     .See,    also,    LInion    station. 
Joint  terminal  facilities,  Coordination 
of  facilities.  Clearing  yards,  etc. 

Railroad  stations,  9,  13,  26,  61,  62,  63, 
80,  82.  See,  also.  Passenger  terminals. 
Union  stations,  etc. 

Range  of  asses.sed  land  values.   See  Maps. 

Range  ot  city  planning.  .See  City  plan- 
ning. Scope,  etc. 

Rapid  transit  facilities,  38,  40,  80,  125, 
150,  171,  176. 

Real  estate  boards  and  exchanges  in  city 
planning,  8,  29,  64,  68,  77,  99,  100,  174, 
182. 

Reclamation  of  land  by  filling  or  drain- 
ing, 5,  34,  46,  63,  70,  91,  95,  99,  109, 
1 13,  1 16,  177,  186,  188. 

Recreational  building  groups,  61,  135, 
146,  186. 

Recreation  surveys,  40,  78,  87,  93,  108, 
172. 

Recreation  System,  108,  172,  183. 

Recreational  waterfronts,  34,  104,  186. 

Recreation  under  official  administration, 
58,  104,  118,  172,  179. 

Relief  maps,  29,  74. 

Replanning,  38,  45,  69,  95,  96,  123,  140, 

15J.  157;  176.  >^5- 

Reports,  City  planning,  6,  7,  8,  12,  13,  15, 
17,  20,  2i,'22,  24,33,41,42,45,47,52, 
57,  59,  63,  65,  69,  73,  79,  86,  88,  92,  97, 
99,  100,  108,  no,  113,  114,  117,  119, 
120,  123,  127,  128,  129,  133,  140,  143, 
150,  151,  152,  153,  154,  155,  156,  160, 
163,  169,  173,  174,  181,  182,  184,  190. 

Reservoir  reservations,  143,  179,  184. 

Residential  cities,  120. 

Residential  districts,  9. 

Residential  squares,  136. 

Resorts,  Health  and  pleasure,  1 1,  41,  76. 

Results  of  city  plan  reports,  7,  13,  14,  16, 
21,  23,  29,  31,  34,  38,  39,  45,  49,  50,  53, 
66,  69,  70,  73,  77,  78,  81,  85,  86,  89,  93, 
95,  99,  101,  112,  115,  117,  118,  120, 
123,  127,  131,  133,  143,  147,  148,  15^, 
153,  154,  155,  156,  158,  160,  161,  164, 

168,  171,  173,  174,  179,  I <^ I,  182,  184. 
Revision  and  amplification  of  city  plans, 

140,  152. 

Ring  streets,  161. 

Riverfront  improvements  and  reserva- 
tions for  recreational  purposes,  14,  22, 
30,  35,  41,  42,  45,  46,  50,  60,  62,  64,  66, 
69,  70,  74,  79,  87,  88,  98,  99,  101,  107, 
126,  136,  143,  151,  156,  158,  161,  168, 

169,  173,  175,  179,  185,  186,  187,  188, 
192. 

River  cities,  15. 

Riverfront  improvement  for  commercial 

purposes,  15,  27,41,47,76,94,  182. 
Robinson,    Charles   Mulford,   8,    17,   30, 

41,  4J,  44,  47,  50,  5^,  65,  70,  74,  87, 

89,  129,  131,  136,  142,  150,   >5-,   i.':4, 

155,  '79,  187,  196. 
Run-down  districts,  their  improvement, 

21,  39,  5°,  62,  63,  113,  148,  149,  i6i, 

172. 
Russell   Sage   Foundation,   86,    n3,    169, 

174,179- 

Sanitary  surveys,  66,  152,  174,  179. 
Sanitation,  10,  22,43,  88,  152. 
Satellite  Cities,  58,  71,  136. 
School  gardens  and  playgrounds,  60.   See, 
also.  Playgrounds. 


INDF.X 


•onal  planning  of  city  areas,  :i. 
Selection   of  park    lands,   Rules   tor,  44, 

'3'- 
Set-backs,   S. 
Settings  of  Cities,  I4I. 
Sewage  disposal,  43,  88,  i  ly,  14,!. 
Sewerage  systems,  43,  70,  94,  <)(',  14,;. 
Sherrerd,  M.  R.,  70,  1 12. 
Ship  canal,  76. 
Shore  reservations,  19,3.3,41,91,95,  151, 

162,  ifi6,  177,  179,  181,  191. 
Shurtleff,  Arthur  A.,  119,  188. 
Shurtl-rt',  Klavel,  1. 
Simonds,  O.  C,  107. 
Sites,  City,  142,  150,  152,  155,  156,  ifij, 

r  ^1,  169,  176. 
Skeleton  of  the  city  plan,  52,  53,  100. 
Small  cities,  106. 
Small  parks,  137,  151,  167. 
Social  centers,  Playgrounds  anii  .schools 

as,  22,38,  172,  175. 
Social  survey,  87,  113,  I42,  174. 
Squares,  25,  29,91,  105,  133,  136,  151,  1  58 

16-,  if)8,  174,  179,  189. 
Stadiums,  62. 
Starring  city  planning,  2,  43,  45,  '14,  100, 

'34  i"j6,  175- 
State  agencies  for  city  planning,  Sd,  91, 

175,  182,  196. 
*^      e  housing  conference,  134,  135. 
Steep  gradients,  133. 
Stream  pollution,  63,  157. 
Street  extension,  13,  15, 33,  S3>  61,  96,  101 

108,  116,  119,  123,  I2<;,  129,  131,  162, 

176. 
Street-lighting,  3,  49. 
Street  openings,  8,'  15,  23,  45,  108,  113, 

133,  140,  150,  176,  183. 
Street  plan  (in  general),  12,  61,  117,  129. 
Street  platting,  12,  96,  122,  127,  176. 
Street  system,  153,  167,  192. 
Street  widenings,  8,  14,  29,  32,  33,  45,  53, 

96,  99,  loi,  108,  1 13,  1 18,  1 19,  123,  129, 

131,  133,  140,  147,  160,  162,  172,  177, 

182,  190. 
Street  widths,  133,  167. 
Stiibhen,  J.,  197. 
itudy  and  teaching,  196,  197. 
Subdivision,   Land.,    See   Land   subdivi- 
sions. 


.Suburban  station  grounds,  105. 
Subways,  In  relation  to  the  street,  9,  40. 
.Subways  ( Rapid  Transit),  40,  1 50. 
.Surrounding  towns.  Cooperation  with,  3. 
.Surveys,  City  Planning,  2,  9,  ih,  29,  32, 

56,  76,  78,  96,  1 17,  120,  132,  142,  174, 

180,  190,  191. 

Tabulations  ot  data.  See  I'umlamenial 
data.  Maps,  Diagrams. 

leaching  of  city  planning  in  public 
schools,  36. 

I'echnical  procedure.  Methods  of  pro- 
fessional practice.  .See  Fundamental 
data,  Maps.         .  . 

Terminal  facilities  below  ground,  10,  55, 
1  26. 

Terminals,  76,  79,  97,  107,  125,  129, 
176,  181. 

Thoroughfares  and  thoroughfare  sys- 
tems, 23,  24,  25,  62,  63,  71,  74,  80,  87, 
88,  97,  loi,  104,  108,  143,  148,  157, 
160,  168,  181,  189,  197. 

'Topography,  55,  91,  150,  151. 

Topographic  map,  i^i,  190,  192. 

Town  Common,  105. 

Traffic  centers,  136. 

Traffic  congestion,  108,  114,  127,  ifio, 
'79- 

'Traffic  censuses,  loS,  127,  158. 

Traffic  Circuit,  24,  34,  140,  146. 

'Traffic  squares,  29,  52,  136,  179. 

Traffic  streets  and  routes,  62,  65,  80, 
S3,  108,  131,  146,  150,  190. 

Traffic  regulation,  127. 

Transfer  stations,  103,  112,  191. 

Transit  rerouting  and  re.scheduling,  16, 
43,  68,  96,  97,  108,  109,  118,  151,  153, 

155-. 

1  ransit  systems,  29,  58,  71,  94,  108,  125, 
140,  143,  162. 

Transportation,  Coordination  of  facili- 
ties, 21,  33,  52,  94,  96,  108,  109,  146, 
171. 

'Tree-planting,  54,  62,  94,  127,  155,  171, 
172,  182,  192. 

Tributary  areas,  Planning,  59,  86,  127, 
1-5,  192. 

Tubes  I  rapid  transit),  73. 

Tunnels,  Highway,  143. 


Tvpes  of  Cities,  44,  <<,  <6,  69,  91,  1^12, 
167. 

I'nbuilt-ovcr  area,  42, 53,62,90,  1 40,  175. 
Unification  of  terminal  facilities,  130,  162, 

17.1- 
I'nion  stations,  41,  45,  62,  66,  67,  78,  82, 

89,  96,   105,   134,   136,   153,  156,   ito, 

184,  187,  191,  19;. 
Unofficial  planning  organizations,  8,   18, 

25..?'.77.  8^90.  y2.  97,  100,  118,  124, 

"17.  M4.  '.if',  '45.  '4^  '5°.  >5.1.  '5''. 

172,  175,  179,  180,  181,  189,  191,  193. 
Unwin,  Raymond,  197. 
L'.  S.  Steel  Corporation,  18,  55,  67. 
Urgency  of  specific  planning  projects,  79. 
Use  of  Property,  1 6,  29,  63. 

Vaux,  Calvert,  1 13. 
\'eiller,  Lawrence,  102. 
Viaducts,  18,  55,  71,  87. 

War,  K.fFect  on  cities  and  city  planning, 

22,  64,  197. 
Wastes,  Disposal  ot,  34. 
Waterfronts,  27. 
Waterfronts,  Commercial,  13,  14,  27,  29, 

52.  (>',  ~3,  97.  104.  '07.  109,  127.  'If. 

■35.  '36,  "40,  "5^  '^2,  167,  172,  175, 

181,  192. 
Waterfronts,  Recreational,  20,  52,  60,  61, 

62,  64,  70,  79,  94,  loi,  t04,  113,  118, 

127,  143,  150,  162,  166,  167,  174. 
Water  gate,  75. 
Water  Supply,  19,  43,  52,  90,  91,  94,  96, 

'43- 
Watrous,  Richard  B.,  196,  197. 
Whitman,  F./.ra  B.,  152. 
Whitten,  Robert  H.,  2,  120. 
Williams,  I'Vank  B.,  24,  120,  1 97. 
Wires,  Overhead,  29. 
Women's  clubs,  37,  43,  49,  64,  66,  88,  100, 

1. 10,  153,  182,  192. 

Zoning,  5,  16,  21,  57,  67,  69,  96,  99,  103, 
III,  120,  127,  128,  133,  141,  155,  166, 
171,  186,  190,  192,  194. 

Zoning  ordinance,  16,  55,  120,  127,  194, 
195. 

Zueblin,  Chas.,  68,  86,  153. 


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